D 



WAR WORK OF THE ST. LOUIS 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



ADVANCE PRINT FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT 

OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. OF INSTRUCTION 

1917-18 




BOARD OF EDUCATION 

ST. LOUIS, MO. 

SEPTEMBER, 1918 



^ 




WAR WORK OF THE ST. LOUIS 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



ADVANCE PRINT FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT 

OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTION 

1917-18 



POARD OF EDUCATIONj 

ST. LOUIS, MO. 

SEPTEMBER, 1918 






s. ©f B. 

DEC 4 1918 






CONTENTS. 

Letter of transmittal ■ 5 

Foreword 7 

The adjustment of the curricukuii and school activi- 
ties to war conditions 11 

Thrift stamp work in the St. Louis Public Schools . . 47 

The sale of Liberty Bonds through the schools 52 

The Harris Teachers College 68 

High Schools 77 

The American Red Cross in the elementary schools . . 101 

Work of the Junior Red Cross 119 

Food administration in the elementary schools 135 

Departments of manual arts and drawing 144 

Technical training of men in selective draft 150 

Vocational training resulting from war conditions .. 160 



September, 1918. 

To the Honorable Board of Education of St. Louis : 
Gentlemen : 

I take pleasure in transmitting to you the following- 
report which summarizes the war work in the St. Louis 
pubHc schools for the year ending June 30. 1918. 

In doing- so I wish to acknowledge the great impetus 
given to this work by your splendid spirit and prompt ac- 
tion in meeting- every opportunity that came to assist the 
Government through the use of the schools. I wish also to 
acknowledge the great loyalty and patriotism of my col- 
leagues in this work, the Assistant Superintendents, Super- 
visors, Principals, Teachers, and also of the pupils in the 
schools, whose splendid spirit and untiring efforts to serve 
our country are worthy of the highest praise. 

Respectfully submitted, 

JOHX W. WITHERS, 

Superintendent of Instruction. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



FOREWORD. 

The following- report is a statement of the war work 
of the St. Louis public schools for the year ending June 
30, 1918. 

From the first it was the aim of the Board of Educa- 
tion and of the Department of Instruction, first, to aid the 
national Government in every way possible and to the full 
extent of our ability; second, to take advantage of. the op- 
portunities afforded by the war to stimulate and improve 
the customary work of the schools instead of allowing the 
war work undertaken to hinder in any way the education 
of the children ; third, to make use of the war to teach a 
true and lasting patriotism by having the children realize 
not only the full meaning of the war and why we are en- 
gaged in it, but also experience the patriotic joy that can 
only come through the consciousness of directly working 
for our soldiers and otherwise aiding the Government in 
carrying on the war. 

In his opening address to the principals and teachers 
at the beginning of the school year the Superintendent 
outlined what in his judgment should be the policy of the 
schools in relation to the war and called attention to the 
difficult double duty of vigorous, effective war work and 
at the same time of clinging tenaciously to the fundamental 
purpose for which the schools are maintained. There is 
little use of making America and the world safe for Dem- 
oracy if in doing so we permit the coming generation of 
men and women to be so undeveloped in mind and body as 
to be unable to enjoy the benefits of Democracy, The 
nation has in fact no more important duty, even in time 
of war, than the proper conservation and development of 
the physical, mental and spiritual life of its children. 

The year was started with a broad and vital conception 
of the meaning of patriotism and patriotic education. It 
was pointed out that patriotism means much more than 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



respect for the flag, reciting of an oath of allegiance to one's 
country, and the singing of patriotic songs. It involves the 
whole of one's being. It means fervent devotion to one's 
country, not a blind devotion but one that is based upon a 
full and clear understanding of what one's country really 
is, what it has been in the past, and what it now stands for 
in the life and history of the world. More important still, 
true patriotism involves conduct, continuous and consistent, 
that is always in keeping Math such devotion and such 
knowledge. The child as well as the adult needs to know 
that he has a right to be called patriotic, wherever he may 
be and whatever he may be doing, if he is true to our 
national ideals and labors honestly and earnestly to do 
something that the country needs to have done. 

That full advantage might be taken of the opportun- 
ity to teach patriotism in this sense it was necessary to re- 
fuse several prizes that were generously offered by patri- 
otic citizens to stimulate endeavor on the part of teachers 
and children and increase the results of various kinds of 
war work, since this would obviously defeat the purpose by 
substituting a selfish motive of winning a prize for the 
satisfaction of consciously rendering a real service to the 
country. The results clearly showed that when the children 
realized they were rendering such service no artificial stimu- 
lus or selfish motive was needed to make them do their 
best. 

The general policy then agreed upon was faithfully car- 
ried out and greatly extended during the year. The un- 
selfish, whole-heated devotion of the Assistant Superintend- 
ents, Supervisors, Principals, teachers and children was 
worthy of the highest praise. From the Board of Education 
down to the smallest child in the kindergarten there was the 
most splendid cooperation. The spirit of the Board of 
Education in meeting promptly every request of the 
Government was also the spirit of the teachers and the 
children in the schools. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



In addition to their work in the schools and with the 
children, the teachers rendered valuable assistance in many 
important ways outside of school hours. Notable among 
these was the assistance given to the various Ward Boards 
in connection with the selective draft. Nine hundred and 
sixty-seven teachers rendered 5018 part days service to 
twenty-se\en Ward Boards. 

In the preparation of this report the Superintendent 
is indebted in one way or another to almost every one em- 
ployed in the schools. A questionnaire was sent out from 
the Superintendent's office to all of the schools. This was 
promptl}^ filled out and returned giving full information as 
to how much and what kinds of work each school had done. 
Among those who assisted in compiling the report are Mr. 
F. h. Wiley, who had general supervision of the work ; Mr. 
C. G. Rathmann in organizing the section on the Thrift 
Stamp Campaign; Mr. Geo. Piatt Knox, Miss Mary A. 
Thompson and Mr. Philo S. Stevenson, the section on Red 
Cross and Junior Red Cross ; Miss Alice Lachmund. the 
Section on Food Administration ; Mr. R. A. Kissack, tne 
section on the Technical Training of Men in the Selective 
Draft ; Mr. John J. Maddox and Mr. W. C. Reavis, the sec- 
tion on the Adjustment of the Curriculum and School Ac- 
tivities to War Conditions ; Mr. Chas. B. Goddard, assisted 
by the principals and teachers of the high schools, the sec- 
tion dealing with the work of the high schools ; and Dr. E 
George Payne the section on the work of the Harris Teach- 
ers College and the report on the Libert> Loan CaniDaign. 
The picture were taken by Miss Elyse C. Crecelius. It is 
to be regretted that for lack of time these were confined to 
relatively few schools. 



1« ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE CURRICULUM AND 
SCHOOL ACTIVITIES TO WAR CONDITIONS. 

During the period of the war and particularly through- 
out the year which has just closed the schools of Saint 
Louis have taken advantage of the opportunity afforded 
for doing various types of work intended primarily for 
winning the war. The schools of the city have sold Thrift 
Stamps and Liberty Bonds ; they have made a thorough 
canvass for Red Cross memberships and subscriptions; 
they have provided various articles needed by the soldiers 
and sailors ; and they have gone to work consciously to 
inculcate those ideas of thrift, economy, and patriotism 
which our national government has felt necessary for the 
successful termination of the struggle in which we are 
engaged. In this report, however, it is not the purpose 
to dwell upon what the schools have done in the way of 
war winning service either in raising funds for the final 
blow to autocracy or in providing equipment for our boys 
at the front or in spreading among our adult population an 
intelligence regarding the righteousness of the principles 
which have guided us in the conduct of this war. The 
question with which we are concerned is : What gain has 
come to the schools themselves from participation in this 
war work? The schools have rendered a service which 
has gained distinct recognition from those most interested 
in winning this conflict. In rendering that service, how- 
ever, there has been a reaction upon the schools themselves 
which makes of this war a real blessing to the educational 
interests of our city. The principals and teachers have 
been given opportunity to report the extent to which the 
war work has interfered with the regular work of the 
school and the extent to which it has been a benefit to the 
work in hand. From almost every school comes the un- 
qualified statement that the result of our war winning 
service upon what is regarded as regular school work is 
a net gairu The feeling is very general that the war work 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 11 



has not interfered in the least with the work for which 
our system of education is maintained, but that, on the 
other hand, participation in these activities has resulted 
in very definite changes which will enable the schools to 
function much more completely as an educational insti- 
tution. The school people of Saint Louis believe that the 
work of education has profited from our participation in 
a work which was undertaken primarily from a sense of 
patriotic duty. We are not willing to say that we have 
given up the work of education for the war; we perfer 
to think of having advanced the cause of education in 
our city while rendering to our national government all 
the service that lay within our power. It is the purpose of 
the following discussion to point out as definitely as pos- 
sible how the adjustment in content and method has been 
made in various subjects of the curriculum and how, in 
turn, this readjustment has been of real service considered 
from an educational point of view. 

Industrial Arts. 

The type of manual work ordinarily done in the ele- 
mentary schools outside of the Manual Training, Sewing 
and Cooking for boys and girls of the 7th and 8th grades 
has been confined chiefly to raffia work and cardboard 
construction in connection with Drawing. Schools having 
ungraded rooms frequently go beyond this program and 
provide some work in brush-making, scroll saw work, 
cement work, manual training work, sewing and crochet- 
ing. Some of the schools have added work in printing 
and weaving for certain classes. This has usually been 
done at the expense of the community. This work, how- 
ever, has been more or less conventional and while mak- 
ing a strong appeal to many pupils, it has been lack- 
ing in many instances in the vital motives that are needed 
to carry it beyond the formal stage. 



12 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



But with the introduction of the war spirit into the 
schools these types of manual work underwent many 
changes and natural adjustments. Much of the old work 
has been abandoned and in its place new types of activi- 
ties designed to render direct assistance to the Govern- 
ment in its task of winning the war have been substituted. 
These changes and modifications will be described and 
illustrated by photographic cuts in the following pages. 

1. KNITTING. 

The old art of knitting has been revived and has been 
found to be especially suitable for children of all ages. 
In addition to making the leisure time of child-power 
count in aiding the Government, the work has proved quite 
attractive to the children and has been a valuable contri- 
bution to the newer manual activities of the school. It 
has furnished real problems for the children to solve with 
the added value of a satisfaction resulting to them from 
the making of articles designed for war use. Such gar- 
ments as socks, sweaters, scarfs, caps, belts, hospital quilts, 
etc., have been knitted by the children with as high a 
standard of workmanship and as quickly as have been 
done by adults. Boys have taken to this work as readily 
as the girls. They seem to regard this art, which for a 
long time has been considered a feminine accomplishment, 
as a work worthy of the best skill that boyhood can com- 
mand. The work has been carried on chiefly during leisin-e 
hours. Some children have voluntarily given up recess 
intermissions to knit ; others knit as soon as school tasks 
are finished, while others do all their work at home. In 
most of the schools knitting clubs have been organized by 
various groups of children under the direction and super- 
vision of teachers. These classes usually meet at the close 
of the school day for a certain period of time on certain 
days of the week. From these clubs much good has re- 
sulted to individual members and to the school as a whole 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



through the opportunities provided for the socializing 
process. The illustrations which follow will show the spe- 
cific types of knitting that have been carried on in various 
schools. 




The Knitting Club in a school having only five grades, showing 
the different garments the children are knitting. 




A Group of Open Air Knitters, knittine: and enjoying a rest at the 

noon hour. 



14 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




A group of baby knitters. The little children are doing their part 
as well as the older children. 




Three star knitters. They are not ashamed of their 
accomplishments. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 15 



' 2. QUILTING. 

In addition to the knitted (juilts made through the 
cooperative work of both boys and girls, the girls of cer- 
tain schools have added se\\'ing" to their list of activities 
and have utilized both handwork an'd sewing machines in 
making hospital quilts from cloth scraps secured through 
donation and salvage. All the processes of cjuilting have 
been performed by the girls and fine finished products 
have been turned out for use in the Red Cross hospitals. 
While this work has not been extensively done in the 
schools, it is significant in that where it has been under- 
taken problems related to the work of the school have 
arisen in connection with designing and computation that 
have afforded excellent opportunities for putting to use 
the regular work of the class room. 




A group of girls working on a quilt that will soon be ready for 
use in some Red Cross hospital. 



3. WEAVING. 



The Jefferson Elementary School in particular has 
made extensive use of weaving in connection with the 
manual activities of the upper ungraded rooms. Large 



16 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC ■ SCHOOLS. 



and small looms have been installed in the classrooms and 
are used by the pupils during their leisure time in weaving 
rag floor rugs and v^arp cloth for making bags for the 
soldiers. These products have been utilized by the Red 
Cross and the children have had the added interest of 
producing articles of real use to the Government. A con- 
siderable amount of the material used in making the rugs 
was obtained by the pupils from salvage and waste. This, 
in itself, has brought to the children a most valuable les- 
son in thrift. The introduction to this new work has fur- 
nished new motives for much of the preliminary work in 
designing, choice of colors and arithmetical computations 
essential to successful rug weaving and has stimulated the 
work of the school in drawing and arithmetic. 




A group of children at work sewing and sorting rags and weaving 
at the looms. The picture also shows a number of finished rugs 
which have already been promised to the Red Cross for use in 
buildings at various cantonments. 



4. THRIFT GARDENS. 



■■ The school thrift garden has been a feature among 
the numerous manual activities of the elementary schools 
•in their campaign in encouraging and stimulating thrift. 



REPOIiT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



17 



It has afforded many projects and problems for the work 
in drawing-, reading, composition, arithmetic and nature- 
stud}' and has proved in most cases to be worthy of its 
name ; for these gardens have provided much valuable food 
for the families of the thrift pupils, while the surplus has 
been marketed and converted into cash to swell the funds 
of the Junior Red Cross. Many of the children have util- 
ized their study of the thrift school garden in the making 
of home thrift-gardens, which will provide food for the 
famil}- and money Axith 'which to buy thrift stamps during 
the \acations. The following cuts will show how the pupils 
have changed the destiny of man}^ waste plots of ground 
without marring the scenic beauty of the city and how 
they have contributed to the movement to increase the 
food supply of the nation. 




Children working in their cornfield back of the school. 



18 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



i^-'Vik 


J^Bl^^Bi 


,w-, 






1 ^^^ 1 


m. 






■■fSii 


i. 


^: 


,,3j<.vi.. 




■'W ■ ' 


W^^ 


^ "^ . : 


,, - ■*■*!:»•,(. 


'^ 




i: 


-^ 




BIBp ft; 


# ?! •./.'', , .^ . 




31 


mmsm 




^ ,,,....^- 





An exhibit of thrift garden products from the gardens of the 
Gallaudet School for Deaf Children. 



POULTRY RAISING. 



Some of the cliildren of the schools have been encour- 
aged to undertake poultry raising in their back yards and 
are having unusual success from their efforts. This project 
stimulates the reading of the pupils, and also taxes their 
constructive skill in designing and constructing suitable 
coops for their broods. The children are urged to keep 
accurate accounts of all expenses and profits and to con- 
vert the latter into Government thrift stamps. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



19 




These boys are earning their thrift stamps by raising poulti-y in 
their back yards. 



MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES. 



The manual activities introduced in the schools as a 
result of the war have been varied in character, and the 
quantity production of many articles has been surprisingly 
large in proportion to the limited time given to such work. 
The following cuts will show some of the varied activities 
of different schools, which for the most part, have come 
into particular schools through responsiveness to the needs 
and problems that have arisen in the schools and com- 
munity, in its attempt to cooperate in meeting and fulfill- 
ing Government requests. 



20 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




This cut shows boys engaged in the making of knitting needles for 
the children of the school. The knitting needles are made out 
of strippings obtained from cigar boxes. The children find them 
as satisfactory as any needles on the market. 




A room of 2nd grrde children engaged in making gun- wipers for 
the soldiers. This product has been turned out in large quanti- 
ties by this school and the children have been deeply interested 
in doing their part to help win the war. 



RKPORT OF THE SUPERINTKNDENT. 



21 





!■ 


HK^^^ lit US 




i^ ■ 



A group of girls cutting and sewing rags for rug-weaving and in- 
specting the finished kits for the soldiers. 




This cut shows some of the manual work made by the children of 

a special school. This work was sold at an exhibition 

and the funds were turned in to the treasurer of 

the Red Cross. 



22 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




A group of children inspecting knitted garments finished by one 
room in a week. 



Drawing. 

The war activities of the schools have provided many 
problems for the work in drawing that have challenged 
the initiative and ingenuity of the children, and have 
greatly encouraged this form of expression. The results 
are apparent in every school and every community of the 
city. The children have eagerly seized upon the themes 
that are publicly discussed and have reahzed that they 
could speak effectively on these same themes with a 
language that appeals to the eye. They have also realized 
the practical importance of drawing in connection with 
their reading and class-room discussions, not only as a 
means of educating the public regarding the needs of the 
country but also as a direct factor in conducting many 
of the war activities. This has stimulated observation and 
investigation and as a result, the drawings of the children, 
while colored by the war spirit, represent a greater variety 



REPORT OP THE SUPERINTENDENT. 23 



of subjects than is usually found in elementary school 
drawings. The principal contributions have been made 
along the lines of thrift, Red Cross work, Liberty Loan 
drives, etc. Many posters have been made for the purpose 
of giving publicity to these movements and of educating 
all the people of the home community to the necessity of 
responding to all the requests of the Government for co- 
operation in the task of carrying on the war. These posters 
have been displayed before the children of the schools, 
the families at home, and in public places. 

The drawing exercises have been more purposeful and 
the results have been up to the standard in every respect, 
in fact many of the teachers state that they have never 
before had so much interest manifested in drawing or 
secured such satisfactory results. This is true not only 
in illustrative drawing and the drawing of objects and 
figures, but also in the use of color as a means of accurate 
representation. 

The following photographic cuts present a few ex- 
amples of the work in illustration and the poster work 
-done in some of the grades of certain schools. This work 
may be regarded as typical of what has been done in all 
of the elementary schools of the city. 



24 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




Illustrative drawings showing war activities. Three of these were 
made by children of the 3rd grade of the colored schools. 




The drawings of this cut were made by children of the 4th grade 

They show the children's conception of how the war is 

to be won. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



25 




The posters shown in this cut were made in the drawing class of 
7th grade children. They were used to create public 
opinion and co-operation in the school district 
for war activities. 



26 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




This cut shows additional posters made by children of the 7th 

grade. 

History. 

The war conditions and the resulting activities of the 
schools have had a most desirable influence on the work 
in history, both from the standpoint of educational value 
of history to the pupils and from improved methods of 
treatment of historic materials. As one principal states it, 
"The history classes have studied time-worn facts with 
a new motive — their bearing on the present crisis." As 
another sees it, "The relation of war activities to the prob- 
lems of history teaching has resulted in the adoption of 
a more effective type of classroom procedure. Pupils have 
realized more immediate motives for studying history, con- 
sequently they show greater enthusiasm, work harder and 
cooperate better in the recitation than formerly." 

There seems to be a general recognition of these facts 
by the history teachers of the city. They have realized 
that the present ftirnishes the live problems and provides 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 27 



the real motives that enlist the interests of the pupils in 
the study of the past, not for the past's sake but for the 
purpose of understanding it and applying its lessons to 
the solution of present day problems. The practical way 
in which this important lesson has been brought to the 
attention of the teachers through the linking of the war 
activities of the schools with the ideals of service and self- 
sacrifice that have always actuated the American people 
in national crises reveals the trvie aim of history teaching 
in the elementary schools, and points out the error that 
has frequently been made of treating facts and events as 
Isolated happenings instead of situations typical in many 
respects to the problems of the present that have to be 
met by individuals, states and nations. 

The problems of the present war have raised in the 
minds of the pupils, particularly of the 7th grade in the 
study of the Revolutionary War and those of the 8th 
grade in the study of the Civil War, many points that 
were not thought of by previous classes when studying 
the same events. Questions relating to the issues involved, 
the principles at stake, the responsibilities that had to be 
met by the stay-at-homes in the way of substitutes for 
staple food products, economies and public services have 
come up and have stimulated extensive study and search. 
Comparative study with respect to numbers involved, 
kinds of arms, methods of warfare, transportation, com- 
munication, loss of life, care of wounded, number of pris- 
oners, treatment of prisoners, destruction of property, and 
standards of honor, shows that America's wars have al- 
ways had justifiable causes. These struggles for principles 
and ideals have been made more real, more interesting 
and more valuable as a result of the pupil's participation 
in the war activities of the present ; and the study of these 
past events as typical situations in relation to the present 
crisis reveals to the pupils the true nature of our national 



28 



ST. I.OUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



ideals, and develops a feeling of personal responsibility 
for maintaining and continuing these ideals. 

The relation of the history work to the participation 
of the children in the Red Cross contributions, to the sale 
of Liberty Bonds and thrift stamps, salvage of various 
kinds, thrift gardens, conservation of food, four-minute 
speeches, patriotic parades and public meetings, and to 
current events that have received considerable attention 
in connection with the history work of the schools, has 
assisted the pupils in catching the real spirit of many his- 
toric events. This has been shown in the increased interest 
in manv of the schools in historic pageants and the dra- 
matic presentation of significant historic events. 

The following cuts illustrate a few of the activities 
in history that have been more real and vital to the chil- 
dren as a result of their active participation in the activi- 
ties of the war. 




A picture of a dramatic presentation given by 7th grade children 
showing Mrs. John Hancock as hostess to a group of colonial 
dames at a Boston tea-party at which a pledge is taken to drink 
no more tea until the tax has been removed. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



29 




In this picture 7th grade pupils are shown in a crowd gathering on 
a street in Boston, reading a poster which had just been posted 
to notify the citizens of Boston of the King's proclamation of a 
tax on tea. A messenger is seen in the distance shouting that 
the ships of tea will arrive at the port of Boston on the morrow. 



•^^ #1 ; ; t. ^ ; . 


■ ^ 1 








'j^t -.,^..- 


IMBtfJifc """" ,„r rf-^^^^* " -^ 



This cut shows the same groups of children holding a protest- 
meeting in the Old South Church of Boston with reference to 
the tea tax and the announced arrival of the tea ships. The Mo- 
hawk Indians have just arrived and the meeting is in the act of 
voting a decision regarding the reception of the tea. 



30 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Geography. 

The work in geography has been greatly enriched by 
the attention given to war problems in the schools. The 
true aim of modern geography teaching could never have 
been made so apparent to the teachers as it has been made 
through the effect the war has had on every person through 
the interruption of commercial relations between nations. 
This has been clearly brought to the attention of the 
pupils through a consideration of projects and problems 
designed to explain many of the commercial relations that 
existed before the war, changes that are taking place in 
the interim, and the modifications that are sure to take 
place as a result of the forced adjustments that have nec- 
essarily been made by the nations of the world in at- 
tempting to meet the new conditions imposed by the war. 




This picture shows some blackboard work on a problem designed 

to explain the effect the present war has had on the trade 

conditions of South America with the United States. It 

is the work of a 7th grade class. Much work similar 

to this has been done in other schools of the city. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



21 




This picture shows the children of a 3rd grade class in a drama- 
tization of offering the garments they have knitted to a Belgian 
mother and her child who have been rendered homeless 
by the war. This was used to motivate 
a lesson on clothing. 



In addition to this type of work much interest has 
been aroused in the more advanced geography classes in 
attempting to find out the part played by physiographic 
factors in the successes and failures of both sides in the 
war. 



32 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Nature Study. 

The work in nature study has been made more vital 
in the schools as a result of the introduction of the thrift 
problems and food conservation. These activities have pro- 
vided strong immediate motives for the increase of knowl- 
edge in nature study, and have been followed by the de- 
velopment of a keener and finer appreciation than ordi- 
narily results from this work. 




This cut shows the children working in their gardens and gather- 
ing material for the most practical kind of nature study. 



Arithmetic. 



The keenness v^dth which teachers have felt the neces- 
sity for impressing upon the children the importance of 
saving — saving money, food, fuel, clothing, etc., has. 
prompted them to introduce many of these topics in their 
arithmetic classes. They have reported that the calcula- 
tion connected with the discussion of these various sub- 
jects has resulted in arousing interest in more economical 
living. Throughout the city the teaching force has re- 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 33 



sorted to arithmetical work as a means of teaching the 
necessity and the meaning of conservation and the patri- 
otic duty of investing our money in government securi- 
ties. While the war time problems have been introduced 
primarily for the purpose of rendering a patriotic service 
they have, at the same time, provided splendid motiva- 
tion for teaching much that is regarded as fundamental 
in the course of study. Teachers have availed themselves 
of the opportunity of using such lists of problenis as those 
provided in "Food Problems" by Farmer and Huntington 
and "Thrift Problems" prepared by Professor David Ku- 
gene Smith. The value of these lists and others prepared 
by the teachers themselves will be seen by glancing over 
the following typical problems all of which have been 
selected from problems upon which some class was at 
work. 

Problems Connected with Saving and Investment in 
Thrift Stamps. 

(1) If one Thrift Stamp cost 25c, how much will j^ou have 
to pay for 2 Thrift Stamps? 

(2) A boy finds that he can save ~>c a week for Thrift 
Stamps. How much can lie save in a year? 

i'.i) If you can lielp your parents save $1 by being more 
careful about your clothing, how many Thrift Stamps can be 
bought with the amount? 

(4) An electric light bill was $15.20 winter before last. By 
being careful not to waste the light it was $4 less last winter. 
How many Thrift Stamps can be bought with the money saved? 

(5) Most people can save $4.18 if they try to do so. Sup- 
pose that in June 1918 our population was 102,900,000, and that 
% of this number bought one War vSavings Stamps at $4.18, how 
much would our government receive from the sale? 

(6) There are 985 pupils in our school today. How much 
money would it bring into our United States Treasury if each 
pupil bought one Thrift Stamp? If 4/5 of our pupils made pur- 
chases? 



34 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



THRIFT STAMP PROBLEMS SHOWING THE NECESSITY FOR 
LENDING TO THE GOVERNMENT. 

(1) Our soldiers must have cartridges. Each cartridge 
costs 5c. If you lend our government 25c by buying a Thrift 
Stamp, you lend it enough to buy how many cartridges? 

(2) Our government finds that 100 bayonets cost $215.00. 
How many Thrift Stamps will it take to buy 100 bayonets? 

(3) Three woolen blankets to keep a soldier warm next 
winter will cost .$18.75. At 25c each, how many Thrift Stamps 
should our room buy to pay for these blankets? 

(4) In our fight for a safe world our soldiers must have 
shelter tents. The Government finds that it can buy 1,000 such 
tents for $2,967.80. When War Savings Stamps are selling at 
$4.18 each, how inany must be sold in order to raise enough 
money to buy them? 

(5) Every soldier needs a good overcoat for the cold win- 
ter in the trenches. Such a coat costs $14.92. If the schools of 
Saint Louis buy 357 War Savings Stamps in one day at $4.18 
each, how many overcoats can be bought with the amount raised? 

(6) If a manufacturer charges dealers at the rate of $8.34 
for a woolen blanket, but sells such blankets to our government, 
for the soldiers, at a discount of 25%, how much will 100 blankets 
cost? How many War Savings Stamps, bought at $4.17 each, 
will it take to pay for these blankets? 

(7) Good shoes for our soldiers retail at $7.50 a pair, but 
our government can buy them in large quantities at 20% — 15% 
off this price. How much does our government pay for each 
pair? How many War Savings Stamps at $4.18 each, will it take 
to pay for 10,000 pairs? 

PROBLEMS IN FOOD CONSERVATION. 

(1) W^hat would be saved in Saint Eouis if every family 
saved $35.00 each year on food? How much in the state of Mis- 
souri? 

(2) Let us suppose that the average waste of wheat flour 
per family in the LInited States is one ounce per week. How 
many pounds would be wasted in one week by the 20 million 
families in this country? How many pounds per year? About 
how many barrels? 

(3) How many pounds of meat could be saved by the 
pupils of this school if each pupil observed two meatless days 
a week and saved .4 pound of meat twice each week? For how 
many days would the meat saved feed a soldier who eats 1.25 
pounds of meat daily? 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



35 



(4) If every person in the United States ate no more than 
2 ounces of fats daily, instead of 3.42 ounces, how much would 
be saved by tJie 102,000,000 people? 

(5) If each of our 20 million families wastes % ounce of 
butter daily, find how many pounds are wasted daily. Using 
Saint Louis prices find how much money is wasted. 

(6) The food value of 1 quart of milk is about the same 
as that of 9 ounces of round steak or 8 eggs. Using Saint Louis 
prices see wliicii is the most economical food, and what per cent 
more expensive than milk the other two are. 

(7) Each person in the United States consumes on the aver- 
age 90 pounds of sugar each year. He needs only 4/5 pound a 
week. How much is consumed each year that is not needed? How 
much could be saved if the average use of sugar by each person 
in this country were reduced to what he needed? 

(8) Our allies need 2,700,000 tons of sugar. What per cent 
of this could be saved through the saving outlined in problem 7? 




A group of boys weighing the tin foil collection for the week and 

figuring its value. The two boys to the left are guessing 

the weight before weighing. 



English. 



The teaching- of English in the elementary school has 
undergone a great change throughout the country within 



36 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



the last few years. Not so many years ago the laws of 
grammar were handed down to our children in the most 
formal, abstract manner. It was no uncommon thing to 
see the lesson assigned, in its entirety, as a matter of 
memory work. Then there came an improvement in the 
method by which the work was made less abstract. The 
laws of grammar were given to the children, ready made 
to be sure, but teachers sought to give these laws con- 
nection with reahty by a series of examples and illustra- 
tions. But today another step has been taken which, we 
believe, brings us much nearer the ideal method of pro- 
cedure. Teachers, at least the better class of teachers, are 
not assigning the rules and laws of the language to the 
children for memory work, neither are they handing over 
these laws, ready made, and then seeking, through example 
and illustration, to show their connection with life; but 
they are leading the children, through their own experi- 
ence with the language, to the discovery of these laws for 
themselves. Instead of beginning with the laws and prin- 
ciples of the science in the hope that such a study will 
improve the vise of the language, we now begin with the 
language, improving its use through practice, permitting 
the discovery of laws and principles to follow as a sort 
of by-product of language teaching. This point of view 
makes it imperative upon the teacher to seek real, live sit- 
uations in which the child is interested for the purpose of 
providing themes for oral and written expression. The 
free discussion of war topics has brought to the teachers 
this year a genuine opportunity for up-to-date work in the 
English language. We can do no more in this brief dis- 
cussion than point out a few of the topics, arising from 
our participation in war winning service, which have given 
vitality to the English work. 

Throughout the city the schools have undertaken to 
conserve useful material which is going to waste. The 
children have been urged to bring to school collapsible 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 37 



tubes, old rubber tires, rubber shoes, zinc, etc. How this 
activity was made the motive for unusual language work 
may be judged from the following report of a seventh 
grade teacher: "It had been decided that, although salvage 
articles might be brought to the school at any time, if a 
certain date were set apart for a big collection throughout 
the school much confusion and waste of time could be 
avoided and the amount of the weekly collection enhanced. 
May 3rd was made special Salvage Day. This information 
was not given to the entire school in advance, but only 
to the seventh grade room which was to undertake the 
proper advertising of the special collection. The children, 
immediately set to work to make Salvage Day a success. 
They aroused intense interest and curiosity among teachers 
and pupils by a series of 'hints' on the bulletin boards and 
blackboards of the various rooms, such as the following: 
'What is going to happen May 3rd?' 'Will you help May 
3rd?' 'Help us make May 3rd a big success.' 'W-S-D- 
May 3rd.' In order to give the parents an opportunity 
to begin collecting and saving at home, the announcement 
of Salvage Day and an explanation of what each child 
could do to make it a success was made by large black- 
board notices four days before the event took place. In 
the meantime the room was divided into three groups- 
one, to prepare four-minute speeches on salvage, one to 
write letters to parents asking for their help, and one to 
write letters to all the teachers in the school appealing to 
them to urge this collection upon the children and their 
parents. On the afternoon of May 2nd the four-minute 
speakers, accompanied by two Boy Scouts in uniform car- 
rying between them a huge wicker basket laden with 
sample salvage articles, w^ent from room to room. As the 
speakers appealed to the children the articles asked for 
w^ere displayed on the teacher's desk. An accompanying 
clown added to the interest and enthusiasm by his antics 
with an old rubber shoe and a discarded automobile tire 



38 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



which he brought from home. It is true that many dol- 
lars worth of material was collected as a result of this en- 
deavor, but, at the same time, it proved to be a splendid 
exercise from the standpoint of English. This was the 
children's problem from beginning to end. From an edu- 
cational point of view, to say nothing of its original pur- 
pose of raising Junior Red Cross funds, it was an extreme- 
ly worthwhile piece of work." 

The work on the Third Liberty loan in a school 
where the children disposed of bonds to the amount of 
nearly 160,000 dollars may be described as showing how 
that situation was used by the teachers to give motive to 
the work in English. A contest for four-minute speakers 
was arranged. Two incentives prompted the children — 
all the children in the room — to put forth their very best 
efforts in preparation for the speeches. One was the honor 
of being appointed as a Four-Minute speaker for the gov- 
ernment and the other the special privilege of appearing 
before the Parent-Teacher Association. Every pamphlet, 
newspaper, picture show four-minute speech, and other 
articles having a bearing upon the subject were absorbed 
by the children. Appeals to parents and friends for "points" 
were made. Every child in the rooms concerned prepared 
and gave his speech before his classmates. From these 
speeches the children themselves selected twelve to be 
delivered in the final contest. The principal and four 
teachers acted as judges in the final delivery and awarded 
the honors. In this contest some children never known 
before to show any particular interest in this kind of work 
made a splendid showing. Children in other rooms imme- 
diately began to clamor for a four-minute contest. This 
form of motivation was used effectively even in the lower 
grades. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



39 




Four-minute contest speakers from a school having no grade above 

the fifth. 



The English class afifords a splendid opportunity for 
arousing enthusiasm over worthy war-time activities be- 
cause here we find the work based upon a free discussion 
of interesting topics. In one of our schools after about 
two weeks of free discussion in the English classes of the 
Thrift Stamp problem a series of tableaux were arranged 
in order to show the pupils of the school and their parents 
the various methods used by the children in raising money 
to invest in these government securities. The problem set 
for solution was: How to raise money with which to buy 
Thrift Stamps. Each pupil was permitted to report to 
his classmates one means of raising money for this pur- 
pose — a method which he had already tried or which he 
proposes to try in the near future. After presentation 
orally to the class these reports were committed to writ- 
ing for use among other pupils (here the significance of 
a real motive was very evident), and then each pupil was 
given the opportunity of posing, in such costume as he 



40 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



might design and make, before the assembly of parents 
and friends. The following give some idea of the type of 
tableaux presented: (a) Putting in coal (b) Raising chick- 
ens (c) cutting the grass (d) Darning stockings (e) Par- 
ing potatoes (f) Raking leaves (g) Selling papers (h) 
Saving through self-denial (i) Selling homegarden prod- 
ucts (j) Sawing wood. 




Showing how some school boys make and save money for invest7 
ment in Thrift Stamps. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



41 




One of the most interesting lessons in upper grade 
work in one of our schools was entitled "Mother Goose 
Up to Date." As you read these Mother. Goose Rhymes 
and war limericks observe how the work of this English 
class is correlated with the thought of the hour. 



42 , ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



There was a ruler of Prussia, 

Who tried to get France and Russia; 

But try as he might 

He'll not win the fight; 

So, vexed is this ruler of Prussia. 

Joan of Arc saved France 'tis true; 
Now Uncle Sam doth call on you 
To help along our nation; 
Buy Liberty Bonds is one good way; 
Another, Thrift Stamps buy each day. 
And practice conservation. 

Sing a song" of sixpence, 
A pocket full of money; 
Go buy a Thrift Stamp 
And be a patriot. Sonny. 

Tell me, little maid of France, 
Did they make the Kaiser dance? 
Thrift Stamps we will buy; 
Instead of dance we'll make him cry, 
And help you, maid of France. 

Mistress Mary, quite contrary. 

How does your garden grow? 

With corn and wheat and tomatoes sweet, 

And bell peppers all in a row. 

Mary believed in conservation. 

For she wished to help the nation; 

Everything that she did eat 

Was a substitute for meat and wheat. 

The Third Liberty loan 
W^ill make the kaiser groan; 
When he hears how we are buying. 
The Yankee boys without trying 
Can oust him ofif his throne. 

Mary had a Liberty Bond 
Its cause was white as snow, 
And everywhere that Mary went 
The Bond was sure to go. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, 43 



Uncle Sam: Any pupil or scholar 

Who has a whole dollar, 
With it, what shall he do? 
Children: We used to buy 
Cakes and pie. 
But now it goes to you. 

Von Hindenburg is a very good general, 

A very good general is he, 

But when he sees General Pershing, 

No more Von Hindenburg there will be. 

Jack Sprat could eat no fat, 
His wife could eat no lean; 
So in these times of war. 
They lick the platter clean. 

Uncle Sanamie had a soldier. 
Placed a gun upon his shoulder, 
Sent him o'er the foam to fight, 
Let us help him with all our might. 

Sing a song of Liberty Bonds, 
A pocket full of wheat, 
Four and Twenty Thrift Stamps 
Will hasten Old Bill's defeat 

Kaiser Bill went up the hill 
To take a glimpse at France; 
Kaiser Bill came down the hill 
Because he didn't have the chance. 

Poem composed by a vSeventh Grade girl inspired by 
the school saktte to the flag: 

THE COLORS OF THE FLAG. 

There is a flag, a grand old flag. 
The red, the white, the blue; 
It is so precious to my heart, 
And I know it is to you. 

The red is like the hero's blood. 

Which was shed for me and you; 

So now, dear classmates, let us prove 

That we to it are true. > 



44 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



The white is like the purity 
Of our dear freedom's land, 
And may it reach across the sea 
And clasp our allies' hand. 

The blue is like our soldiers true, 
VVlio arc ever pressing on 
To win the day, the blessed day, 
When victory shall be our song. 

So let us all salute our flag 
The red, the white, the blue. 
And ever with our loyal hearts 
Prove tliat we to her are true. 

Conclusion. 

In the foregoing discussion it has been pointed out 
how the teachers of the city have seized upon the prob- 
lems of war and made them serve as a stimulus for more 
vital work in the various subjects of the curriculum. From 
all sections of the city there has come the unqualified state- 
ment that the war activities to which we have given at- 
tention have been made the motive for doing the best 
possible kind of school work. Teachers and principals, 
very generally, state that participation in those things 
which are occupying the attention of the community about 
us has actually enhanced the opportunity for teaching 
those ideas, facts, and principles which we regard as funda- 
mental in elementary school education. But we must not 
stop here. To evaluate properly the result of this work, we 
must ask ourselves: What effect has it had on conduct? 
The chief concern of education is to affect behavior in some 
desirable way. In the last analysis, this is the purpose of 
every school exercise. It is in this direction that the schools 
have done their most significant work during the past 
year. Growth and development, whether intellectual or 
moral, comes through the recognition of a problem and 
participation in its solution. The school children have been 
made to feel the keenness of the problematic situations 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



45 



with which we are all concerned, and they have been given 
the opportunity of participating- in meeting the demands 
of the time. 

The following pictures, represent how the teachers of 
our entire city have realized the value of permitting the 
children to assume a reponsibility. 




A business meeting of teachers and pupils in which plans were 
perfected for carrying on Junior Red Cross work. 




Pupils preparing school garden lettuce for sale — money to be 
devoted to Junior Red Cross. 



46 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




Children making an appeal, in their own way, for conservation 

in the home. 



:# 


bl|4| 


-J^^ 


||^H^^^^fJ|L^i^^^^^^^H 




^m 



A splendid representation of what has gone on all oyer the city — 

student committees from upper grades caring for 

morning collection of paper. 

Who can measure the value to society of such activi- 
ties as these, each of which is characterized by the oppor- 
tunity for development in initiative, responsibility, and 
the socialized conscience? 



Ui:i'()UT OF THIO SUPERINTENDENT. 47 



THRIFT STAMP WORK IN THE ST. LOUIS 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

The campaign was opened on December 21, 1917. At 
a principals' meeting held during the preceding week the 
objects of the movement were determined and discussed 
and the plan of work for all the schools was adopted. 

The four objects of the campaign are to teach patriot- 
ism and loyalty, to awaken and stimulate in the children 
the desire to help their country, to lead them to acquire 
habits of thrift and to contribute to the extent of their 
ability to the means necessary to win the war. 

The Thrift Stamp Campaign is one chapter in the 
text book which w^as used in our schools throughout the 
year to help us in teaching patriotism. The other chapters 
are the Liberty Bond Campaigns, the Red Cross Work, 
the Junior Red Cross Organization in the schools, the 
Thrift Gardens, Food and Fuel Conservation, Smile'age 
Books for Soldiers, Donation of Books and Money to the 
Soldiers' and Sailors' Library Fund, the Training of the 
men in the Draft in our High Schools, and Training of 
Women who are to take the places of men in the draft, 
and many others. All of these activities have helped the 
teachers in our schools to make the children understand 
why we are in this M^ar and what their duties to their 
country are. 

Through the Thrift Stamp Campaign and the other 
activities in connection with the war the children have 
been made to realize that our country needs not only the 
help of every man and woman but of every child of school 
age, that each boy and each girl can and must do his share 
to help the country in every way possible. 

While all the activities in the schools which the great 
war has made necessary are full of patriotic lessons and 
all of them give the children the best opportunity to help 
their country, the Thrift Stamp Campaign has a special 
mission which is to teach the children to save. Our pupils 



48 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



were told that the money which they invested in the pur- 
chase of thrift stamps and war certificates is not given to 
the country but lent to her and that it will be returned to 
them with a handsome interest and that in giving all that 
they can save will not only be doing something for their 
country but for themselves as well. 

The work was taken up with alacrity and enthusiasm 
by the principals, teachers and pupils. Postmaster Colin 
M. Selph kindly offered to have the letter carriers of the 
city furnish thrift stamps and war certificates to the teach- 
ers day after day and collect the money contributed by the 
children. 

From the beginning of the campaign the children 
brought to school day after day and week after week what 
they could save. They would bring their quarter, the price 
of the thrift stamp, but besides the thrift stamps thousands 
of $5 war certificates and many $100 certificates were 
bought. In the schools attended by the poorer children 
however, the penny, the nickel, and the dime were the 
amounts most frequently brought. ' The boys and girls 
opened a bank account with the principal. They brought 
their' little mite as often as they could and when they had 
deposited a quarter their thrift stamp was handed to them. 
They were as proud of the stamp, for the purchase of 
which they saved a week or longer, as others better situ- 
ated were of their $5 certificates. The penny brought to 
school in many cases meant as much self-denial as that 
shown by the child in other schools who had contributed 
a quarter or even a dollar. 

What was even more gratifying than the large sums 
of money contributed in all the schools was the spirit 
in which this work was done, the children's expression 
of love to their country and their strong desire to help 
her. Equally gratifying was the practice of self-denial, 
of readiness to make sacrifices manifested in every school 
in the city. Our children have learned to do without or 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 49 



greatly reduce the little luxuries in which they had in- 
dulged, the attendance at motion picture shows, the use 
of candy, ice cream and chewing gum. The children were 
encouraged to depend not only upon the gifts from their 
parents, realtives and friends, but to find work after school 
and with their earnings buy thrift stamps and war certifi- 
cates. They were made to understand that the stamp 
bought with the mone)^ they had earned through their 
work would be worth more to their country and to them- 
selves than the one purchased with money given them. 

Thus patriotism, self-denial, thrift and honest work 
are the key note of the Thrift Stamp Campaign. To save 
what they can save day after day and week after week 
for their country's sake and their own has become a habit 
with the children of the St. Louis Schools, a habit which 
they will take with them into life and which will make 
better men and women of them. How thoroughly estab- 
lished this habit has become is evidenced by the fact that 
during the weeks which were devoted to the Liberty Bond 
drive and the Red Cross work there was no interruption 
in the Thrift Stamp Campaign, and the amount of sales 
was but little, if any, less than during the other weeks. 

There have been no drives in the Thrift Stamp Cam- 
paign. There , has been no competition between schools 
or school rooms, no prizes have been given to the schools 
that reported the largest amounts of sales. The children 
have been made to understand that they must save be- 
cause it is right to save, and because it is their duty to 
their country and to themselves. 

Our schools are attended by children representing 
every nation in the world. Some of the schools are at- 
tended by children of foreign descent almost exclusivelv. 
The enthusiasm in the Thrift Stamp Campaign has been 
no less in these schools than in any of the others and no 
less on the part of. the children who are descendants of 
those who were born in the countries with which wc arc 



50 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



at war. The Thrift Stamp Campaign and all the other 
work in the schools, introduced because of the war, has 
been an excellent melting pot and has given all of our 
children an education which will help to make our country 
a country with one unified population, all Americans. 

The total amount invested by the children of our 
schools in our schools in thrift stamps and war certificates 
is $315,468.50. This is more than $300,000 worth of help 
to our country and more than $3,000,000 worth of educa- 
tion in patriotism and thrift for our children. Our boys 
and girls have become bond holders, fully realizing all 
that it means. They are proud of being bond holders and 
creditors of their country. They have been taught to 
understand and to appreciate that a large part of the enor- 
mous debt which our country is compelled to contract 
during this war must be paid by them when they are 
men and women. 

At the close of each week each school reported the 
amount of sales for the week. The sum reported for the 
different weeks from December 1st to the last of the term 
that has just closed, is listed below: 



Xo. of Week 



Week Ending 



First Week December 21, 1917 

Second Week January 4, 1918 

Third Week January 11, 1918 

Fourth Week January 18, 1918 

Fifth Week January 25, 1918 

Sixth Week February 1, 1918 

Seventh Week February 8,1918 

Eighth Week February 15, 1918 

Ninth Week February 22, 1918 

Tenth Week March 1, 1918 

Eleventh Week March 8, 1918 

Twelfth Week March 15, 1918 

Thirteenth Week March 22, 1918 

Fourteenth Week ....March 29, 1918 

Fifteenth Week April 5,1918 

Sixteenth Week April 12, 1918 

Seventeenth Week ....April 19, 1918 

Eighteenth Week April 26, 1918 

Nineteenth Week May 3, 1918 



Amount 
Day Schools 

5,267.31 

6,876.24 

18,208.79 

21,689.42 

20,526.94 

22,873.86 

14,547.64 

10,835.48 

10,125.02 

14,336.18 

9,486.02 

9,289.24 

9,394.54 

11,842.66 

9,449.15 

12,546.00 

13,234.73 

14,532.71 

16,307.72 



Amount 
Evening Schools 



292.60 

1,200.70 

61.63 

823.77 

587.47 

647.35 

702.45 

743.54 

523.16 

1,779.55 

61.30 

354.00 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 51 



Amount Amount 
No. of Week Week Ending Day Schools Evening Scliools 

Twentieth Week May 10, 1918 . . 10,733.92 

Twenty-first Week May 17, 1918.. 9,164.38 

Twenty-second Week .. May 24, 1918. . 10,615.15 

Twenty-third Week May 31, 1918.. 10,516.46 

Twenty-fourth Week ...June 7,1918.. 7,157.72 

Twenty-fifth Week June 14, 1918.. 8,133.70 



Total for the day schools $307,690.98 

Total for the evening schools 7,777.52 



Grand total, all schools $315,468.50 

The good work will not be interrupted during the 
vacation period. There will be a teacher in each school 
of the city on some morning or afternoon of each week 
to receive the children's contributions and to give them 
their stamps and certificates. The amount of sales will 
be reported at the end of each week as heretofore. 

The many activities in our schools made necessary 
by the war offer our principals and teachers excellent op- 
portunities to give our children an education which will 
prepare them to become such men and women, such citi- 
zens as our country will need after the war. The prin- 
cipals and teachers have made the best possible use of 
these opportunities, and the children have responded in 
a way which should make our country and city proud of 
them. 



52 - ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



THE SALE OF LIBERTY BONDS THROUGH 
THE SCHOOLS. 

Perhaps there is no better illustration of the extent 
to which the schools have come to participate in war ac- 
tivities than their aid in the sale of Liberty Bonds, Fur- 
thermore, the activities of the schools in the three cam- 
paigns show the progressive tendency of the government 
organizations to rely upon the schools for propaganda and 
for actual war service. Perhaps, also, there is no better 
illustration of the way in which war activities have be- 
come a part of the school curriculum than in the part the 
schools have taken in these campaigns. 

The work in history and English has found motives 
for intense stimulation and interest. The Liberty Bond 
Drives, particularly the Third, called forth oral composi- 
tion and public speaking as nothing else has done, but 
this topic will be treated under the war activities in rela- 
tion to the school curriculum. 

In the first Liberty Bond Campaign, the schools did 
not enter actively into the sale of Liberty Bonds. In Cir- 
cular Number Sixty, May 24, 1917, sent out by the Super- 
intendent of Instruction, we find the following statement: 

"LIBERTY BONDS." 

"Information concerning the issue by the United States Gov- 
ernment of the 'Liberty Bonds' will probably be sent to your 
school by the Chamber of Commerce. You are requested to make 
such use of this information in the instruction of pupils as may 
seem to you best. The sale of these bonds by the United States 
Government is of course a matter of great current historic interest 
and importance, and should be brought to the attention of the 
children in the grades capable of under.'^tanding the nature of 
these bonds as means employed by the Government of quickly 
raising money needed in the vigorous prosecution of the war, and 
as an opportunity for patriotic service. It is not suggested or 
expected, however, that the schools shall be used as agents in 
promoting the sale of the bonds." 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 53 



Nothing ^\■as done, then, by the schools in the first 
campaign other than to give pubhcity to the Liberty Loan 
Drive. 

In the second campaign, we find a growing tendency 
for the school to participate more actively in the campaign 
itself. While the schools as a whole did not sell Liberty 
Bonds of the second issue, certain schools were active in 
selling, and all the schools did eft'ective work. We find 
in a circular of the Superintendent, October 1, 1917, the 
following statement to principals: "Principals are author- 
ized to excuse Boy Scouts at two P. M. on Tuesday, Oc- 
tober 2nd, to take part in the Liberty Bond Parade, — pro- 
vided their parents make written request to have them 
excused for this purpose." Nothing further was done than 
to excuse the Boy Scouts, until October 16. The Superin- 
tendent sent out another notice, saying: 

"Posters advertising tlic Liberty Loan Bond Issue have been 
sent to the schools witli a letter requesting these to be displayed 
at the schools in such a way that children will see them. This 
circular is to authorize you to put up these posters as requested 
by the Committee sending them out. The Board of Education 
has approved this cooperation with the Liberty Bond Campaign 
Committee and I trust that effective use can be made of the adver- 
tising material." 

Then following these notices of the Superintendent, 
came another notice on October 23, declaring a half-holi- 
day on October 24 at the request of the President of the 
United States. The Superintendent indicated that the de- 
votion of a full half-day of time of the public schools means 
that it was expected that teachers and pupils should em- 
ploy this time in the most advantageous way possible for 
furthering the sale of Liberty Bonds, and that not only 
should patriotic exercises be held in the fore-noon of Lib- 
erty Day, but in the afternoon, principals, teachers, and 
pupils should be organized for furthering publicity of the 
Bond sale in ways which might be efficacious. This grant- 
ing of a half-holiday and the urging by the Superintend- 



64 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



ent upon the teachers and students to participate in the 
campaign showed the growing tendency of the schools to 
take more responsibility in the success of the Liberty 
Loans. 

At the close of the campaign, on October 30, the su- 
perintendent stated : 

"Interesting information is coming in from many of the 
schools concerning the results of the half-holiday granted for the 
purpose of encouraging the sale of Liberty Bonds. I should be 
glad to get a report from all of the schools concerning the sale of 
Liberty Bonds made by the children, and also the extent to which 
the schools were able to assist the Library Association toward 
providing books for our soldiers." 

While, then, in this second campaign no organized 
effort was made for the sale of Bonds, there was a dis- 
tinctly different attitude and a great deal more effort on 
the part of the school people not only in the purchase of 
Bonds, but in determination to have the Second Liberty 
Loan succeed. 

In the Third Liberty Bond Drive, however, an entire- 
ly different course was adopted by the schools. In this 
drive, the schools were organized from the first with the 
avowed purpose of selling Bonds of the third issue and 
of engaging in this campaign as a part of school endeavor 
as a means of instilling patriotism and stimulating interest 
in the school studies through motivation as well as to aid 
the Government in a very vital service. 

In accordance with this new plan, the campaign for 
the Third Liberty Loan Drive was worked out in detail 
ahead of time, and everything possible was done to make 
it the highest success. The program for the Third Liberty 
Loan Drive was as follows : 

1. A general meeting of all teachers and principals was 
held at the Soldan High School. 

2. A meeting of principals was called for the purpose of 
outlining plans for pushing the loan. 

3. The following plan was suggested: 

A. Make the school district the unit for the work. 



RBPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 55 



B. Make the principal and teachers of each district 
responsible for the loan in that district. 

C. Each principal should make a card index of the 
people living in his district. A card index which 
was used in the School Bond Campaign was sug- 
gested as the nucleus of a revised list. 

D. Every person should be canvassed by the teachers 
and students. Whenever results are not secured 
from a first visit, a second visit. should be made, 
and so on, until the district has been completely 
canvassed and the loan advertised. 

4. In each district where it is feasible, there should be a 
meeting of the people of that district at which a patriotic program 
should be presented by the pupils of the school, and a brief talk 
made by a vigorous speaker selected by the principal. High school 
and Harris Teachers College students may also be used for mak- 
ing four-minute speech-es at these meetings of patrons. 

5. A report of the amount secured through the Liberty 
Loan Drive should be made each day to the Superintendent's 
office. 

The oversight and management of the drive should be in 
the hands of a Permanent Drive Committee on the Sale of Liberty 
Bonds, to be named by the Superintendent, with one of the Assis- 
tant Superintendents as Chairman. 

At the meeting of the principals on Saturday morning, 
March 30, for the discussion of the plan just outlined, the 
following committee was appointed as the St. Louis Public 
School Third Liberty Loan Drive Committee, consisting 
of Dr. E. George Payne, Chairman for the Committee, 
Miss S. A. McGuire, Messrs. John Rush Powell, Charles 
Collins, J. C. Edwards, Geo. L. Hawkins, F. W. Hensel- 
meier, Arthur O. Leutheusser, Geo. N. Martin, E. E. Mc- 
Caslin, L. W. Rader, Wm. H. Schlueter, T. E. Spencer, 
Robt. St. Clair, F. M. Underwood, Frank Williams, and 
Chas. H. Brown. 

The Committee, after due consideration of the sug- 
gestions of principals and after discussion, adopted the fol- 
lowing suggestions: 



56 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



1. Meetings of the people of the district should be held in 
the school where feasible. A parade preceding the meeting might 
terminate at the school. Mimeographed copies of the plan of meet- 
ing may be sent to parents. Use of the high school auditoriums 
may be desirable, especially if the high school has a moving pic- 
ture machine that can be used. There might be programs in the 
different rooms. Meetings for mothers could be heM in the after- 
noons, — for fathers in the evenings. Principals may feel free to 
call on high schools and Harris Teachers College for pupil four- 
minute speakers for grammar school or for any meeting or moving 
picture show in their district. 

2. Parades. Parades in the separate school districts are de- 
sirable, subject entirely to the judgment of the principal. Pro- 
vision should be made for participation of high school boys in the 
proposed Forest Park parade. 

3. Thorough preparations for the drive should be made dur- 
ing next week. 

4. Card index. The card index may be made as subscrip- 
tions come in or in advance, as principals perfer. Each school is 
the best judge of its local conditions. Therefore at the option of 
the principal the index may take any one of the following forms: 

(1) One card for each residence address in the school 

district. 

(2) One card for each family in the school district, 

whether represented by children in the school 
or not. 

(3) One card for each individual adult or child in the 

school district who is a potential purchaser of a 

Liberty Bond. 
Each child should first solicit his parents and older brothers, 
afterwards the neighborhood should be canvassed. High school 
pupils are at liberty to solicit as "free lances'" Blanks prepared at 
school and stating "I have subscribed to the Third Liberty Loan" 
may be furnished solicitors to be signed by people in district and 
returned to school, serving as a check. 

5. A graphic representation of daily progress should be' dis- 
played as conspicuously as possible. 

The Committee had a number of meetings in which 
they discussed plans and sent out statements through the 
Superintendent's Office, bringing to the attention of the: 
principals the most effective methods being used in the 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 57 



campaign throughout the schools. The following is a pre- 
liminary circular sent to the principals for the purpose of 
stimulating them to the highest endeavor. 

"To Principals: 

"The Liberty Loan Drive Committee urges the principals to 
begin the loan campaign in their schools at once. The week of 
the first to the eighth should be used in making a card index, 
holding patriotic meetings, pledging subscriptions, etc. The big 
work will be done this week for we must get on the ground and 
"get promises for subscriptions this week as the banks and other 
organizations are now working enthusiasticall}' in that direction, 
and we do not wish to be behind. The campaign of education and 
of publicity must go on this week so that next week we may be 
able to reap the results. Taking subscriptions will commence on 
the sixth and success in this will depend upon how well the pre- 
vious work has been done. Remember that the principal and teach- 
ers in each district are responsible for the loan in that district. Do 
your best! 

"The Committee suggests that each room be made a unit 
and that a chart of the subscriptions be conspicuously placed where 
the teachers and students may watch the results each day. The 
upper grades may have a handicap in order to favor the lower 
grades. You may set a goal for the school and eacli room and 
then see if you can "go over the top." 

"St. Louis Public School Third Liberty Loan cards will be 
furnished by the end of the week. All subscriptions should be 
reported on them. Blanks will also be furnished for use in making 
the daily reports. Please follow carefully all printed instructions 
on the cards and blanks." 

Many of the schools sent out statements, signed by 
the pupils, to parents urging them to participate in the 
Liberty Loan. Some of these statements were of such an 
excellent character that they might have been published 
and sent throughout the city, but as that was impossible 
the Committee selected one of the best, and one hundred 
thousand of these were distributed to the parents through 
the children of the schools. 



58 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




FELLOW AMERICANS: 



The United Stat, 
highly efficient and dete 



of Ame 
lined foe 



It 



■ith 



lit fathe 
bv fort 



and brothers, you 
of arrfls 



for ideals precious to every 
sending your son.^^ and 



But they can win that war only with our complete support. Their part is 
to fight for us; our part is to see that they are fed, clothed, sheltered, transported 
across the sea to the field of battle; nursed if they fall sick or chance to be wounded 

The sacrifices they are making for us and the supreme sacrifice they stand 
ready to make — doesn't the thought of these stir us with a fierce desire to sacrifice 
something for them' ' 

Should we not joyously give up every luxury, it need be.' Should we not 
empty the strong box. if need be' Should we not even cut down on the neces- 
sities of life, if need be? 

The opportunity for sacrifice is ours: it is coming. It is beie' 

Our soldiers will fight for us with the rifle and the bayonet, but there is 
a weapon with which we can fight for them It is ready to our hand We have 



THIS WEAPON IS THE LIBERTY BOND' 



As the soldie 
not do less than 



itn to fight for 
ill fight for hir 



;o the .last drop of his blood, we 
the last dollar of our possessions 



fittii 



War-Winning Servii 
tast as the Cover 



response ti 

Let us. too. consecrate ourselves 

Let us take up the Liberty Bonds 

THEN WELL DOUBLE THE COURAGE OF OUR BOYS AT THE 
FRONT: DOUBLE THEIR CONFIDENCE: DOUBLE THEIR RESOLUTION 
TO FIGHT UNTIL THE-Y MAKE THE WORLD SAFE FOR DEMOCRACY' 



Again, as in the second campaign, Liberty Day was 
set apart by President Wilson and a holiday was declared 
by the Board of Education. The statement of the Super- 
intendent concerning the purpose of that holiday follows: 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 59 



Liberty Day. 

"Proclamations have been issued by President Wilson and 
Governor Gardner setting apart Friday, April 26th, as Liberty Day. 
The purpose of the day is to promote the spirit of patriotism and 
speed up the sale of Liberty Bonds. The district of which St. 
Louis is the center has already exceeded its quota. St. Louis 
itself has made a splendid shovv^ing as compared with other Ameri- 
can cities, but has not yet 'gone over the top.' 

''The public schools of the city have again demonstrated in 
a magnificent way their efficiency and their patriotism. Last Friday 
the sales made by the schools amounted to $2,034,450 and the 
number of sales made was 15,730. By next Saturday they will 
certainly pass beyond two and one-half millions. This is certainly 
a wonderful showing. The Board of Education and the whole 
city are deeply and justly proud of what you, the teachers, and 
the children have done. It shows a patriotism, a loyalty and devo- 
tion to our soldiers and to the cause for which they are fighting 
that may well fill us with enthusiasm. 

"The Board has declared next Friday afternoon a half holi- 
day. The schools will meet for the morning session as usual. I 
request that you hold appropriate exercises some time during the 
morning session, calling the children's attention to the meaning 
and purpose of the day and urging them to devote the afternoon 
to the selling of bonds. May we not hope.that before the campaign 
closes the schools will have passed the three million mark. How 
can we better show that the generous response of the city in the 
School Bond election was justified than by exceeding the amount 
of School Bonds voted by the people in the amount of Liberty 
Bonds sold by the children?" 

The holiday on Liberty Day showed itseh" in a marked 
way in the increase in Bond sales on the Monday follow- 
ing. 

Quite generally, throughout the city, the principals 
instituted Junior Four-]^Iinute Speaking Contests, for 
w^hich they gave a certificate prepared by the United States 
Government. This was toward the end of the campaign 
and designed to select from among those children taking 
part in the Liberty Loan a number to speak for the pur- 
pose of securing a certificate. This was not only highly 
valuable in stimulating endeavor but also a splendid school 
work. 



&0 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



g) MinUTEMEH ( 



.^^; 




©Ijia is t0 rprtifg tljal 




.- SI r^ ^4' 



tjaa man Jirat l^nnrtrs in ilj? 

Mxmm 3xim Mxnvdt Mtn §>pmkxxi^ ©ont^at 

anil Ijas fapptt sjlrrtpS aa 

3(umnr iffnur iitnul^ S'p^ate 

fnr Uar ^autnga 0tain;ia 



at- 



^ ^^rt^*.t_*^<^Sia-*-, 



\3lat,o..o.l' -r.-.ccU,,, So..:; SUli, 



S8i^ oi.tf«>»iti( of tf.c i5» 



.^f ir,» -ituiu^ sti.ts5 of a..,c.ici. 



Statements from the different schools, describnig the 
Liberty Loan in each district and giving- unusual incidents, 
could well be included in a report of this kind, but space 
would not permit. A few excerpts, therefore, have been 
selected, illustrating the methods used in carrying on the 
campaign. The following is an indication of the spirit of 
the community and school in relation to the present war 
activities in the Charless School district. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 61 



"The district is made up chiefly, — about 95%, of children 
of German parents or ancestry; but I am happy to be able to 
state, that in my judgment, there is no more loyal, enthusiastic, 
or patriotic school district in the city. What little we have been 
able to accomplish has been done primarly because of the actual 
efforts of the children, but these results have been brought 
about in a great measure by the earnest cooperation and support 
on the part of the parents and the homes. All requests sent home 
through the children have met with most cordial support. This 
has been proven, I think, by the quick and ready response on the 
part of these parents, and while these war activities were being 
carried on, we met with no criticism or unfavorable comment from 
any parent, though sometimes we as teachers felt we were urging 
almost to the breaking point; for otir pupils are, for the most 
part, recruited from homes where the wages of the father — and in 
many instances, it is the mother — are the only available asset." 

In another school district, four-minute speeches 
made by the pupils were used to a large extent, as shown 
in the following; statement: 

"About sixty pupils prepared four-minute speeches on thrift 
stamps and on the bonds. Some of them spoke in the lower rooms, 
and some to the Patrons' Association and the Neighborhood En- 
tertainment and Dance. The best results, however, were obtained 
by encouraging all the pupils to make four-minute speeches to 
individuals. They were instructed to do this on all occasions. One 
pro-German woman was tormented for two weeks by the pupils — 
till she finally bought a bond out of sheer desperation. She had 
remarked to a neighbor at the beginning of the drive that no one 
could make her buy a bond. The people in this district were kept 
painfully alive to the fact that there was a bond drive going on." 

Rivalry between the rooms in one school, together^ 
with the cooperation of the parents, brought the sale of 
bonds in this school to a very high mark. Their own state- 
ment concerning the methods used should be given in this 
report, and is as follows: 

"The large sale of bonds in our school was accomplished by 
rivalry between the rooms; also, we established a standard for 
each room, — any room bringing in an amount equal to fifty dollars 
for each pupil, received an 'Over the Top' flag. At the middle of 



62 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



the campaign, we held a 'Revival of Interest' meeting at the school. 
Parents and children came. The teachers took care of the children 
w^hile the speaking was conducted in the Kindergarten room; after- 
wards, a half-hour's program was held in each room, all the chil- 
dren participating and the parents attending. It was as satisfactory 
a meeting as I ever saw and the sale of bonds during the succeed- 
ing week was greatly stimulated. We had a card-index of the dis- 
trict and solicited every home twice, during the first week of the 
campaign and after the 'Revival of Interest' meeting; however, I 
do not recommend the card-index plan, as the results were meager. 
Splendid work, however, was secured through competition; a great 
many fathers who thought they could not afiford a bond, saw the 
light; many others, under pressure from their children, decided to 
'buy another bond.' On the last Thursday of the campaign, I 
sent an appeal to 'Join the VVoodrow Wilson Club,' 'Buy another 
bond,' attaching to the notice several cards of new subscriptions 
by teachers. 

The following is a statement from another school, 
showing the interesting methods used there : 

"In order to impress the importance of the Third Liberty 
Loan Drive upon every person in the community, a patriotic dem- 
onstration was held at the School in the afternoon of April 4, 1918. 
All mothers were invited to this meeting. Junior four-minute 
speakers from the Harris Teachers College, the Yeatman High 
School, and our own school were secured for this meeting. In 
order to reach the men of the community and all others who could 
not attend this meeting, the School chartered the Lowell Theater 
for the evening of April 5, 1918. Pupils from the School marched 
to the theater. In addition to two Junior four-minute speakers from 
the School, patriotic drills by the School, and two four-minute 
speakers, the audience enjoyed the reels pertaining to. Nathan 
Hale's life." 

An interesting account is given of the activities by 
which still another school stimulated interest in the Bond 
sale in its district : 

"Twenty-six pupils of grades seven and eight had been 
trained as four-minute speakers, and besides appearing before 
audiences in nearby moving picture theaters, made a notable 
excursion to downtown restaurants during the noon hour. While 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 63 



the boy orators were holding forth, the prettiest girls in the 
group went from table to table soliciting subscriptions. They 
were quite successful. One enterprising little girl of the third 
grade managed to gather in fifteen subscriptions at a transfer 
corner. I dare say, that not a house in the district was overlooked 
in the canvass. Many homes were visited two and three times 
if there was the least prospect of selling a bond. We opened the 
campaign by jamming all the pupils who could possibly get in 
into the Kindergarten and held a rousing rally at which, besides 
our own four-minute speakers, two boys from Yeatman High 
and two girls from Teachers College fired the enthusiasm of the 
pupils for the service their country expected of them. 

"On one afternoon during the campaign the whole school, 
with the Kindergarten at the head, paraded through the district. 
Each room had devised some individual uniform of colored paper. 
The larger boys carried placards with slogans and Liberty Loan 
posters, while at the head floated the banner of our country. It was 
a kaleidoscopic, vociferous pageant, and the rattling drum corps 
at the head brought every soul, the deaf, the halt, and the blind 
included, within blocks of the line of march to view the unusual 
spectacle. It was not the fault of the campaigners if any one 
within the district did not learn that our government was calling 
for subscriptions to a Third Liberty Loan. Arrived at the school, 
the marchers gathered around the flag-stafif and, with three re- 
sounding cheers, the red, white, and blue was raised to the peak. 
The strains of 'America,' in which the throng of onlookers joined, 
brought this most notable patriotic event, which the neighborhood 
had witnessed in years, to a close." 

Too much can not be said of the fine work of the 
schools in this Third Liberty Loan. It not only created 
a new spirit of patriotism, but it added a great deal to 
the total subscription to the L^nited States Third Liberty 
Loan Bonds. The final report of the school drive, which 
is included in the appendix of this report, indicates that 
about one-fifth of all the subscriptions obtained in St. 
Louis, and one-ninth of the total sum of subscriptions in 
St. Louis, were given through the St. Louis public schools. 

The reliance upon the teachers, the sympathetic co- 
operation of the parents and teachers with them is a touch- 
ing memorial to the high place that the teachers hold in 
the affections and esteem of the St. Louis public. If for 



64 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



no Other reason, this alone would justify the effort put 
forth by the teachers in this campaign. 

At the close of the Third Liberty Loan Campaign, the 
Liberty Loan Committee in charge of the Drive in this 
district presented a beautiful, silk flag to the St. Louis 
public schools. This was presented at a mass meeting at 
the Central High School. It was presented by Mr. J. Hugh 
Powers to President Richard Murphy of the Board of Edu- 
cation for the St. Louis schools. President Murphy was 
designated on this Committee as the member of the Board 
to have direct charge of the campaign. Both he and the 
Committee devoted untiring effort to the campaign and 
President Murphy not only subscribed largely through the 
schools but spoke practically every night in the school 
campaign, and many times his services were demanded at 
several schools in an evening. 

Final Report of the St. Louis Public School 
Third Liberty Loan Drive. 

The report of sales for the last week of the drive, the total 
sales and the total number of subscriptions by schools is given 
as follovv^s: 



First 
Name Three Weeks 

Harris Teachers College.. $ 26,900 

Central High 94,900 

Cleveland High 51,350 

McKinley High 182,350 

Soldan High 280,300 

Yeatman High 37,350 

Junior High 100,900 

Adams 18,450 

Ames 22,200 

Arlington 11,450 

Ashland 17,550 

Baden 4,250 

Bates 4,750 

Benton 27,850 

Bircher Street 4,650 

Blair 21,850 

Blow 19,450 

Bryan Hill 29,450 

Canterbury 3,750 







rotal No. 




Total 


of sub- 


Fourth Week 


Amount 


scribers 


$ 7,900 


$ 34,800 


35& 


32,650 


127,550 


1,097 


36,950 


88,300 


930 


321,850 


504,200 


1,505 


50,950 


331,250 


1,343 


14,850 


52,200 


615 


54,250 


155,150 


1,087 


1,800 


20,250 


262 


12,500 


34,750 


394 


7,100 


18,550 


245 


11,900 


29,450 


490 


1,450 


5,700 


65 


2,200 


6,950 


123 


12,600 


40,450 


482 


2,200 


6,850 


113 


10,550 


32,400 


463 


9,050 


28,500 


227 


3,000 


32.450 


368 


550 


4,300 


61 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



65 



Name Three V 

Carondelet 11 

Carr 7 

Carr ' Lane 5 

Charless 13 

Chouteau 2 

Clarence Avenue 6 

Clark 90 

Clay 12 

Clifton Heights 16 

Clinton 20 

Columbia 17 

Cote Brilliante 24 

Crow 16 

Cupples 25 

Des Peres 3 

Devonshire 7 

Dewey 12 

Divoll 14 

Douglas 10 

Dozier 23 

Eliot 14 

Emerson 14 

Fanning 78 

Farragut 72 

Field 173 

Franklin 17 

Fremont 7 

Froebel 20 

Gallaudet 1 

Gardenville 8 

Garfield . . . . ; 22 

Glasgow 10 

Grant 24 

Gratiot 3 

Hamilton . 156 

Harney Heights 12 

Harrison 25 

Hempstead 20 

Henry 15 

Hodgen 15 

Howard 8 

Humboldt 71 

Irving 30 

Jackson 7 

Jefiferson 17 

Kingshighway 2 

Ivaclede 5 

Lafayette f 

Lindenwood 2 

Long 2 

Longfellow 6 











I'Dtal Xo. 


rst 




Total 


of sub- 


Veeks 


Fourth Week 


Amount 


scribers 


,750 


4,850 


16,600 


180 


,050 


4,150 


11 


200 


173 


,600 


2,150 


7 


750 


122 


,900 


2,700 


16 


600 


246 


,800 


2,000 


4 


800 


62 


,700 


1,900 


8 


600 


74 


,350 


64,250 


154 


600 


1,172 


,700 


1,450 


14 


150 


165 


,600 


6,750 


23 


350 


250 


,050 


8,350 


28 


400 


460 


,400 


5,700 


23 


100 


208 


,800 


17,450 


42 


250 


380 


,650 


8,650 


25 


300 


276 


,350 


39,250 


64 


600 


367 


,950 


1,450 


5 


400 


112 


,750 


2,600 


10 


350 


176 


,750 


9,400 


22 


150 


265 


,400 


2,150 


16 


550 


220 


,200 


2,900 


13 


100 


98 


,650 


12,600 


36 


250 


315 


,300 


4,500 


18 


800 


241 


,950 


11,450 


26 


400 


265 


,200 


44,150 


122 


350 


1,208 


,350 


42,150 


114 


500 


993 


,850 


294,000 


467 


850 


1,666 


,000 


7,350 


24 


350 


397 


',650 


3,500 


11 


150 


153 


,100 


9,300 


29 


400 


443 


,100 


1,000 


2 


100 


11 


,800 


1,900 


10 


700 


137 


,650 


15,350 


38 


000 


364 


,800 


1,900 


12 


700 


230 


,750 


8,050 


32 


800 


261 


,500 


3,900 


7 


400 


121 


,400 


33,500 


189 


900 


1,086 


,550 


4,000 


16 


550 


220 


,050 


9,150 


34 


200 


412 


),950 


10,750 


31 


700 


298 


,600 


1,550 


17 


150 


153 


,100 


16,550 


31 


650 


383 


,900 


4,100 


13 


000 


172 


,200 


1,650 


72 


850 


295 


,050 


10,300 


40 


350 


378 


,250 


4,450 


11 


700 


199 


,800 


7,400 


25 


200 


363 


,650 


700 , 


3 


350 


45 


,950 


7,500 


13 


450 


156 


,400 


9,650 


19 


050 


301 


,700 


600 


3 


300 


39 


,200 


500 


2 


700 


48 


,550 


2,200 


S 


750 


109 



66 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



First 
Name Three Weeks 

Lowell 21,500 

Lyon 23,300 

Madison 20,050 

Mann 28,800 

Marquette 25,450 

Marshall 8,300 

Meramec 19,900 

Monroe 7,450 

Mt. Pleasant 6,350 

Mullanphy 23,950 

Oak Hill 8,150 

O'Fallon 8,050 

Penrose . . .' 2,900 

Pestalozzi 8,350 

Pope 7,300 

Riddick 350 

Rock Spring 7,550 

Roe 5,050 

Scruggs 6,250 

Shaw 11,700 

Shenandoah Ave 17,100 

Shepard 12,150 

Sherman 50,700 

Sigel 13,600 

Stix 22,950 

Walnut Park 32,550 

Washington 26,050 

Webster 6,250 

Woodward 6,500 

Wyman 140,900 

Boys' Class (Bryan Hill).. 100 

Boys' Class (Victor St.) 

Taussig Open Air 2,750 

Open Air (old) 2,700 

Special School No. 1 100 

Special School No. 2 

Special School No. 3 550 

Special School No. 4 

Special School No. 5 250 

Special School No. 7 1,000 

Special School No. 8 50 

Special School No. 9 450 

Special School No. 12 250 

Special School No. 13 

Sumner High 2,650 

Banneker 6,900 

Cottage Ave 3,400 

Delany 1,150 

Dessalines 900 

Dumas 7,050 

Garnett 550 



Fourth Week 

5,600 
26,950 
5,400 
8,950 
7,650 
1,350 
4,300 
2,000 
6,000 
4,600 
4,150 
7,650 
3,000 
3,450 
1,000 
16,000 
3,700 
1,600 
2,550 
2,750 
4,900 
13,150 
17,750 
5,450 
23,600 
8,400 
7,700 
5,350 
1,050 
15,000 



250 
100 

400 

800 
100 
800 

100 



9,350 

11,950 

2,200 

1,700 

350 

3,450 

400 



Total No. 
Total of sub- 

Amount scribers 



27,100 
50,250 
25,450 
37,750 
33,100 

9,650 
24,200 

9,450 
12,350 
28,550 
12,300 
15,700 

5,900 
11,800 

8,300 
16,350 
11,250 

6,650 

8,800 
14,450 
22,000 
25,300 
68,450 
19,050 
46,550 
40,950 
33,750 
11,600 

7,550 

155,900 

100 



391 
445 
264 
406 
339 

99 
259 
152 
186 
199 
173 
113 
142 
160 
231 
219 
183 

90 
166 
150 
106 
182 
387 
184 
286 
375 
375 
132 

96 

251 

2 



3,000 


31 


2,800 


17 


100 


■ 7 


400 


5 


550 


9 


800 


10 


350 


5 


1,800 


18 


50 


1 


550 


10 


250 


4 



12,000 

18,850 

5,600 

2,850 

1,250 

10,500 

950 



129 
316 
94 
44 
23 
114 
18 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



67 



First 

Name Three Weeks Fourth Week 

Lincoln 9,300 10,150 

L'Onvei-ture 4,150 3,500 

Simmons 2,500 3,550 

Wheatley 700 750 

Special Scliool No. 6 

Superintendent's Office 800 1,150 

Grand Total $3,811,750 $1,640,550 



Total 
Amount 


Total No. 
of sub- 
scribers 


19,450 
7,650 
6,050 
1,450 


325 

123 
98 
26 


1,950 


25 


$4,452,300 


34,879 



68 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



THE HARRIS TEACHERS COLLEGE. 



War Work of Students. 

One of the first activities in which the Harris Teachers 
College engaged was the help given in the organization 
of war work at the Wyman School. Early in the Fall 
semester of 1917, the Wyman School organized various 
kinds of school activities, particularly the knitting, to 
which several hundred children responded. A group of 
the College girls volunteered to assist in teaching these 
children after school hours how to knit and to help direct 
the work. They have continued to render this assistance 
throughout the school year. 




Harris Teachers College students teaching 
Wyman children to knit. 

When the schools organized Junior Red Cross Aux- 
iliaries and began Junior Red Cross work, the College re- 
sponded by one hundred per cent enrollment in the Junior 
Red Cross. The College did not, however, think it prac- 
ticable to undertake Junior Red Cross work since all the 
students were engaged in Red Cross work and practically 
all the students were members of the Red Cross. Further- 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 6* 



more, a Red Cross Center was opened at the Nicholas 
Building at the corner of Park and Grand Avenues, and 
a large number of our students devote after-school time to 
the work in this center. 

The students of the College have engaged actively in 
every enterprise initiated by the Government for assist- 
ing the war in which they could particpate. They assisted 
in the First and Second Liberty Loan Campaigns and the 
Red Cross Drives for membership, in Thrift Gardens, and 
in the sale of Thrift Stamps. In nothing, however, have 
they aided more conspicuously than in the Third Liberty 
Loan Drive. At the beginning of the Drive, Four-Minute 
speakers were called for, and practically the whole school 
indicated its willingness to make any possible contribu- 
tion in that line. From all those submitting speeches, 
twenty-seven were selected to give speeches wherever they 
might be called. They spoke at the elementary schools and 
in theatres where elementary school programs were given. 
In all, fifty-eight Four-Minute speeches were delivered by 
the students of the College. In the closing week of the 
Liberty Loan campaign, Four-Minute contests were insti- 
tuted in which twenty students took part. Five United 
States certificates were given to the five winners in these 
contests. The contest stimulated deep interest not only 
in the war, but in English expression. 

War Work of Faculty. 

The members of the College Faculty have also con- 
tributed in an eft'ective way to the war activities. They 
have contributed in all the ways that students have, but 
have also been called upon to a very large extent for 
speeches. During the second week of the Liberty Loan 
Drive, more tiian a score of speeches were made by the 
Faculty in behalf of the Third Liberty Loan. Eight mem- 
bers of the Faculty are also oft'ering their services to the 
Treasury Department of the United States for work dur- 
ing the summer in behalf of the War Savings Certificates. 



70 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



They have volunteered to render services in the following 
states: Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Wash- 
ington, and Missouri. 

The Physical Education Department is organizing 
leaders for the Patriotic League to give drill in military 
tactics and setting-up exercises to various groups in the 
industrial and commercial establishments in our city. A 
part of the students have already volunteered and are en- 
gaging in this work, and numerous others will be pro- 
vided for the summer months. 

The College has also attempted to develop intelligent 
cooperation on the part of the student body by including 
in the morning exercises programs dealing with the various 
phases of war endeavor. Among the programs at the Col- 
lege assembly, ten were devoted to the Liberty Loan, three 
to the Red Cross, three to Thrift Gardens, six to the prob- 
lem of conservation ; and numerous other topics con- 
nected with the war which can not be classed under any 
one head. Not only have we had these discussions relat- 
ing to these war activities, but all the students have en- 
gaged in them. Perhaps seventy-five per cent of the stu- 
dent body have thrift gardens this year. 

Work in Department of English. 

The Department of English has also used material 
furnished by the Government and other publications for 
information used in oral themes, debates, arid papers in 
all classes. It has used President Wilson's speeches and 
war lyrics for work in classes in Interpretative Reading. 

The subjects chosen by students for oral or written 
themes (not four-minute speeches) may be grouped as 
follows, the topics quoted being merely illustrative : 

1. Correspondence: letters to soldiers. 

2. Narrative: An Attack from the Rear; A Five-Year-Old 
Patriot; One Child's Share in War Activities; How One Man Ob- 
tained a $10,000 Liberty Bond Subscription. 

3. Descriptive: The Scott Aviation Field; Laundry Bags for 
the Boys; Depth Bombs. 



REPORT OP THE SUPERINTENDENT. 71 



4. Argumentative: Resolved, That the Study of the German 
Language be Discontinued in American High Schools for the 
Period of the War. 

5. Expository: Growth of Democracy as a Result of the 
War; Comparison of the Causes of the Present War w^ith the 
Causes of Former Wars; Training Our Aviators; "Over Here" 
and "Over There"; What are We Going to do with the Extra Hour 
of Daylight; The Use of Potatoes instead of Wheat; The Two 
National Lines of Defense; The Problem of the Transportation 
of Wheat; Education and the War; Our Savings; What I have 
Done to Help Uncle Sam; A Tentative Classification of Workers 
in Times of War; Red Cross Work in an Elementary School; Use 
of the Dictaphone in Aviation; An American Family's Patriotism; 
Our Great American Leaders; The Organization and Work of the 
American Red Cross. 

I^essons in Community and National Life. 

Extensive use has been made of lessons in Community 
and National Life, prepared by the Bureau of Education 
in cooperation with the United States Food Administra- 
tion, in the Extension Department of our College, with 
large classes of teachers ; and also type lessons have been 
worked up in the Wyiiian School for purposes of demon- 
strating to the College students what might be done in 
the correlation of this type of instruction with the history 
work. 

The material has been closely related to many of the 
war problems in which the children of the schools were 
actively participating. For example, such lessons as Check- 
ing Waste in the Production and Use of .Coal, Preserving 
Foods. Use. of \egetables and Fruits, Control and Con- 
servation of Sugar and Wheat, etc., gave the children a 
clear comprehension of the problems of waste and thrift, 
and the necessity for salvage, conservation, and thrift on 
the part of every person. This resulted in the development 
of an earnest desire to cooperate with and assist the Go\-- 
ernment in every possible way that would aid in the task 
of winning the war. Such Government slogans as "Food 
will win the war." etc., thus became more than phrases, 
because they were thoroughly understood and appreciated. 

The lessons afforded timely material relating to many 



72 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



of the topics discussed daily by newspapers and the adults 
of the community, and the discussion of it in the class- 
rooms in connection with lessons aroused the interest of 
the children in current events and resulted in a more in- 
telligent understanding of the social and industrial prob- 
lems of concern to the various departments of the Govern- 
ment. In this connection, such lessons as the War and 
Aeroplanes, The Effects of the War on Commerce in Ni- 
trates, Making Dyes from Coal Tar, Feeding a City, Con- 
servation as Exemplified by Irrigation Projects, Machine 
Industry and Community Life, Customs, Laws and Forms 
of Government, Business Organization and National Stan- 
dards, etc., were found to give valuable assistance in com- 
prehending many topics of current importance. 

The correlation of this timely material of universal 
interest with the work in history and civics provided strong 
motives for an extensive relational study of many of the 
events of history that had formerly been treated and re- 
garded as isolated facts without significant bearing on the 
problems of the present. The power of the motives thus 
aroused and the resulting concentration in purposeful study 
were the means of revealing to many teachers and pupils 
the vital nature and value of historic and civic content, 
and the importance and superiority of the socialized pro- 
cedure of conducting lessons in comparison with the un- 
motivated, more formal types. The increased enthusiasm 
of the pupils and the greater self-activity that prevailed 
enabled the teachers to consider a much broader field of 
material, to treat it more intensively, and to accomplish 
greater and more significant results than formerly. 

Special Courses in Extension Department. 

A variety of courses have been given in the Exten- 
sion Department of the College which have contributed 
either to the distribution of knowledge for purposes of 
instruction in the grades in civics, patriotism, and the win- 
ning of the war or for the purpose of training persons to 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 73 



do war work. Among these courses might be noted three 
in particular. First, lessons in Community and National 
Life. This course has been given with the direct object 
of securing such background in subject matter and method 
as may be necessary to make the lessons in Community 
and National Life a means to the development of a social 
consciousness, which is the condition for good citizenship. 
Second, a course in First Aid. This course is given as 
outlined by the American Red Cross Society and with the 
purpose of training persons in the home care of the sick. 
Third, courses in Food Administration. These courses are 
designed to train persons to assist the Food Administra- 
tion engaged in the following activities : 

1. Acting as assistants to the local authorities engaged in the 
work of the Food Administration. 

2. Acting as assistants to trained Home Economics workers 
in giving demonstrations and in preparing and explaining ex- 
hibits. 

3. Cooperating with community centers, churches, libraries, 
theatres, newspapers. Boards of Trade and other agencies in ex- 
hibits, distribution of literature, and all other activities devoted to 
food and conservation. 

4. Stimulating interest in forming groups in their home 
neighborhoods for the study of food problems and facts. 

o. Giving the message of -Food Conservation in story form 
to groups of children. 

6. Explaining the Food Administration's principles to those 
not easily persuaded or reached by the other means, and those 
unable to attend meetings or form classes. Isolated rural com- 
munities, or people not speaking English are examples of oppor- 
tunities for this work. 

7. Rendering regular and dependable clerical and adminis- 
trative assistance requiring special knowledge concerning food, 
its preparation, and saving. 

8. Helping to duplicate and extend the use of war recipes. 

9. Assisting in the food work of the Child Saving Cam- 
paign of the Children's Bureau. 

10. Cooperating in emergencies when team work is required. 

11. Taking additional intensive training along definite lines, 
such as canning, drying, the use of substitutes, public speaking, 
publicity, etc. 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



About thirty persons will receive the certificate of the 
United States Government for having completed two of 
the courses offered, at the end of the present semester 
Furthermore, the courses are reofifered for the summer 
term, and in addition, a third course, offering more inten- 
sive training, will be given for purposes of increasing the 
efficiency of the workers in food administration. 

As has been pointed out in another section of the 
report all of the subjects of the elementary school curricu- 
lum have been more or less modified through the introduc- 
tion of war activities in the schools. In the Teachers Col- 
lege this modification ha§ been just as noticeable, but of 
a different type. Here the problem has been one of read- 
justment of courses to assist the teacher in training to 
comprehend the changing conditions in the schools and to 
meet these conditions effectively. 

Educational Sociology. 

In the course in Educational Sociology which is de- 
signed to give the teacher a broader view of education 
as a social process and to enable her to interpret the chang- 
ing forms through which the child must gain and organ- 
ize the experiences that will determine his efficiency as 
a member of society, the social and economic changes made 
by the war and those that will result from the war have 
necessitated the introduction of much new material not 
previously considered. 

This new material is regarded as supplementary mat- 
ter added to certain divisions of the course to make it 
fulfill properly and completely the functions in training 
which the time demands. The nature of the modifications 
in the course in Educational Sociology thus made may be 
fully understood by an examination of the following topics 
that have come up for class discussion : The Effects of 
the War on Family Life. Modifications in Family Life 
that are likely to Follow a Long War. Effects of the War 
on the Activities of Community Life. Possible effects of 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. .75 



the War on Child Life. Present Effects on Vocations. 
Readjustments in Vocations Following the War. Changes 
in the Character of the Social Population Resulting from 
the War. Public Opinion and the War. Comparative 
Study of the Effects of Forms of Government on Educar 
tion. Educational Readjustments Needed to Meet Condi- 
tions During and After the War. Possible Readjustments 
in Educational Organization to Increase the Efficiency of 
the Schools. 

Throughout the course the aim has been to assist the 
young teacher to project herself into the changing social 
conditions with a view to meeting them understandingly 
and effectively when she is called into service. In order 
that this purpose might be most fully realized, the class 
-jdiscussions were supplemented with excursions to institu- 
tions in the city affected by the war in order that the re- 
sults might be more clearly sensed and appreciated, and 
that the problems of remedial instruction might be more 
clearly conceived. 

Work in Departments of Geography and History. 

In the geography and history work of the College, an 
unusual opportunity has been afforded of motivating the 
work through the use of current events. Our students, in 
common with the rest of the American people, have been 
drawn out of their local environments and have thought in 
terms of world-wide relationship. Geographic and historic 
materials have been handled with the idea that the students 
should participate in present-day activities. Newspapers, 
magazines, and books, bearing on the war, were used ex- 
tensively. 

Through the interpretation of world happenings in 
the light of geography and history, students intelligently 
understand and feel the justness of our cause. They are 
growing citizens, through participation, in the same sense 
that adults are becoming more efficient citizens. A sharp 
break between school and out-of-school life is avoided. 



78 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



and the interest thus nurtured in geography and history, 
it is believed, will continue after students have entered 
upon their vocations. The interpretation of the present in 
terms of time and place relations has helped to make the 
students not only enthusiastic but also intelligent patriots. 

Services of the Library Staff. 

Members of the Library Staff (of the Harris Teachers 
College Library) have aided in the sale of Liberty Bonds 
and Thrift Stamps by buying and urging others to buy, 
and have worked for both the Red Cross and the Junior 
Red Cross in the membership campaigns. Donations of 
bocks for the soldiers were received and delivered to head- 
quar'.srs through the Public Library. During' school hours 
every effort has been made to increase the efficiency of the 
Library in order to render the largest service possible to 
every one desiring the use of our materials. All literature 
pertaining" to the war has been given special attention and 
made available immediately. Efforts have been made to 
secure the best references on food conservation both from 
the Government and other publishers. Purchase of forty 
sets of Lessons on Community and National Life has en- 
•abled our Library more effectively to meet the needs of the 
College and of the grade schools. Constant use has been 
made of thirty sets of War Information pamphlets pub- 
lished by the Committee on Public Information. 



<- REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 77 

HIGH SCHOOLS. 

Government Loans. 

FIRST AND SECOND LIBERTY LOANS. 

'1 he St. Louis High Schools made no organized effort 
to promote the sale of bonds in the hrst Liberty Loan. 
However, the interest of the students in the Campaign was 
keen and in practically every school money bclongmg to 
the i^chool papers and school organizations of every sort 
was invested in Government Bonds. No record of sales by 
schools was made. 

For the Second Liberty Loan the schools did a great 
deal more, not only in making investments for themselves, 
but in making sales. In the latter work, the Ben Blewett 
Junior High School led with sales amounting to more than 
half a million dollars. The total reported for the High 
Schools was $675,750. 

THIRD LIBERTY LOAN. 

It was not until the Third Liberty Loan was oft'ered 
that the public schools were organized for aggressive ef- 
fort. Ail of the High Schools trained Four-Minute Men 
who mace speeches in their own schools, in the grade 
schools, neighboring picture theatres, and at public meet- 
ings of various kinds, including those of Patrons' associa- 
tions. In the Soldan these Four-Minute Men were for the 
most part taken from the upper classes. They visited the 
different class-rooms, and delivered their speeches with 
sincerity and earnestness. They received the serious at- 
tention of their fellow students. At the Yeatman one cb.ss 
period was chosen for a contest that every pupil took ] a.t 
in. The best speaker from each room later competed with 
the representatives of other rooms on the same floor, i ^e 
best speaker from each floor was selected by the votvs of 
the contestants themselves, and these floor representatives 
appeared before the whole school at a regular Auditorium 



78 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Meeting. The winner of first honors was decided by popu- 
lar vote. The earnestness and seriousness that marked 
every stage of this contest aroused the enthusiasm of both 
Faculty and student body. In the other schools the Four- 
Minute speakers were selected and used in various ways. 

Numerous Liberty Loan meetings were held in all 
the High School buildings. President Murphy of the Board 
of Education was indefatigable in his efforts to make these 
meetings a success. Capital speakers, excellent bands, pop- 
ular "Movie Stars" and efficient orgaiiization, with plenty 
of publicity, brought results. The afternoon of Friday, 
April 26, was declared a Liberty Holiday to enable the 
pupils to finish their campaign. In total subscriptions se- 
cured, the McKinley led with $502,950, followed by the 
Junior High School with $485,750 and the Central with 
$331,750. The total for all the High Schools amounted to 
$1,600,250. 

THRIFT STAMPS. 

The sale of Thrift Stamps has been active in every 
one of the High Schools. In the Cleveland the sales have 
been made through the School bank. In the Soldan, 116 
students are constantly pushing the sale of stamps. At the 
Central the campaign was inaugurated at a school assem- 
bly addressed by Mr. Alfred Monod, a trained army chap- 
lain, and has been followed up through the efforts of 
groups of students since. At the Yeatman a Faculty com- 
mittee arranges for frequent speakers and directs groups 
of students in an aggressive campaign each Monday. In 
some schools entertainments have been given, admission 
being b}^ the purchase of Thrift, Stamps at the door. 

Plans have been made to encourage the pupils to 
keep up their purchase of Thrift Stamps through the 
Summer. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



79 




80 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



For the current year the Soldan has led in the value 
of stamps sold, $20,341.69, the total for all the High Schools, 
including $5,612.21 sold in the Evening High School, is 
$59,700.76. 

WORK FOR -WAR SAVING COMMITTEE. 

In addition to taking Liberty Loan subscriptions and 
selling Thrift Stamps, the students in the Commercial De- 
partments of the different High Schools addressed, filled, 
sealed and mailed 130,000 envelopes for the Missouri War 
Savings Committee, in preparation for the special Thrift 
Stamp drive of June 28. 

The Red Cross. 

CHRISTMAS MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN. 

The high schools all took part in the Red Cross Christ- 
mas Membership Campaign. In December they joined in 
a down-toM^n parade which was followed by a large and 
enthusiastic Mass Meeting in the Coliseum. The number 
of memberships secured throtigh the efforts of the high 
school students was not fully reported. 

WORK. 

The work for the Ama"ican Red Cross was done 
through the Junior Red Cross Units and is reported under 
that head. 

MAY RED CROSS CAMPAIGN. 

The Public Schools inaugurated the May campaign 
for Red Cross Funds by a great patriotic parade and dem- 
onstration in Forest Park on May 18. About 4,000 high 
school students were in line. Each school formed a sep- 
arate section, led by the American flag, the school's serv- 
ice flag, a Red Cross banner and the school pennant. While 
the students were not in uniform, each school had its dis- 
tinguishing insignia. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



81 




A Part of the Red Cross Parade. 
Groups of girls from the different high schools workea 
at the Red Cross headquarters for several days before the 
campaign opened, preparing posters for distribution and 
advertising matter for mailing, and doing other valuable 
clerical work. 



82 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



DONATIONS. 

Although it was planned that the work of the schools 
in this campaign should be in advertising, all of the high 
schools made Red Cross collections. The Yeatman led in 
the gifts with over $700, besides contributing $300 to the 
free wool fund of the Navy League. The high school do- 
nations to the Red Cross in this campaign reached a total 
of $1,706.88. 

Junior Red Cross. 

The St. Louis High Schools were prompt in their ef- 
forts to do war-winning work. Even before the Junior 
Red Cross had been established, war work organizations, 
had been formed in nearly every one of the high schools ;. 
for instance, the Yeatman Unit in the Yeatman, the Crim- 
son Cross at the McKinley, the Orange Cross at the Cleve- 
land, the Gold Cross at the Soldan. When the Junior Red 
Cross was formed, these local organizations in most cases 
became regularly affiliated auxiliaries of the Junior Red 
Cross and the work that they had been doing has been 
carried on under Red Cross auspices. 

GREEK GAMES 

PRESENTED BY 

CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL; 
PROCEEDS DONATED TO 

JUNIOR RED CROSS 

MAY 28 AND JUNE 1, 1918 

■ 4:30 P. M. 

MUNICIPAL THEATER 
FOREST PARK 

UNIVERSITY. MARKET, OR UNION CARS 

t'k'fclKTfc'^'^'^T^'^'^'^'fc'Vfc'fc'^ ADMISSION 25 and S Oc. BOX SEATS $1.00 




REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



■'83 



MEMiiERSHIP. 

Every High school in the city had a 100% Junior Red 
Cross Membership, totalHng 9,928 students. In several of 
the high schools the dues collected amounted to over 100%, 
so that help in reaching the 100% status was extended to 
grade schools in poorer sections of the city. 




Greek Games. 



Municipal Theatre, Forest Park, May 28, June 1, 
1918. 



TREASURIES. 

The problem of financing the work undertaken by the 
various units was met in different ways by the dift'erent 
schools. Patrons' Associations, Alumni Associations, and 
similar organizations were prompt and generous in giving 
help. Practically every entertainment given in the schools 
during the year 'by Hterary, gymnastic and musical organi- 
zations was for the benefit of the Red Cross work. The 
most elaborate of these entertainments was the Greek 



84 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Games given by 500 girls of the Central High School in 
the Municipal Theatre in Forest Park. This involved the 
united efforts of the Physical Training, Art, Domestic Sci- 
ence, and Manual Training departments -of the school and 
netted upwards of $1,500, The Cleveland and the Soldan 
High Schools held carnivals, the former netting between 
$400 and $500, and the latter $1,425. Moving pictures shown 
in the schools can be depended on as capital money getters. 




Greek Games. Municipal Theatre, Forest Park, May 28, 
June 1, 1918 

In several schools, the girls of the Domestic Science classes 
made jellies and marmalades which were sold at a good 
profit. In the Yeatman, the Friday Sales Committee sold 
popcorn, salted peanuts or "Hooverized" candy regularly,, 
and gave an occasional afternoon dance in the gymnasium. 
Christmas cards designed and tinted in the Art Depart- 
ment of the Central High School were sold at a profit of 



BEPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



SW 



$250. Two of the high school units were the beneficiaries 
of card parties given in private houses and a Masonic 
Temple. These netted from $125 to over $300 each. In 
various class rooms of different schools, pupils placed boxes 
for small change collections. Some money was realized for 
each school through the sale of refreshments at football 
games. Everywhere has been evident the spirit of enthu- 
siastic support of Red Cross organizations through gifts 
and work. 




Christmas Cards made at one of the high schools sold for $250 
for benefit of Junior Red Cross. 

The work of gathering salvage has been developed 
rather late, and up to date the receipts from this source 
have not been large. Great quantities of old paper have 
been turned over to the Red Cross and must have netted 
a considerable sum. Many hundreds of pounds of tin foil 
have been collected. In some schools most of this has 
been sold for the Belgian ReHef. The proceeds from old 
silver and gold are beginning to be considerable and bid 
fair to be an important resource next year. Facilities for 
the handling of salvage of every kind have been improved 
by the establishment of a central receiving station down- 
town. 



86 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 



The total amount raised by our Junior Red Cross or- 
ganizations in the high schools and their predecessors dur- 
ing the year is between $11,000 and $12,000. 

WORK. 

It is impossible to make a complete report of the 
work done by the High School Units. The work is in con- 
stant progress at such a rate that while a report is being 
filed the record has been surpassed. In every school the 
work will be continued throughout the summer, and will 
be increased upon the reopening of the schools in Septem- 
ber. 

The work of the Units in most cases began with the 
knitting but was soon extended to almost every field of 
war relief work, including the adoption of a French war 
orphan by the McKinley High School. ' The amount and 
scope of the work accomplished during the year may be 
judged by .the following statement, which, as explained 
above, is necessarily incomplete: 

Knitting. 

Sweaters 1,630 

Scarfs 691 

Wristlets (pairs) 828 

Sox (pairs) 189 

Helmets 494 

Caps 938 

Blankets 20 

Miscellaneous 116 

Total 4,906 

Sewing. 

Garments 2,011 

Towels 70 

Sheets 30 

Pillows and pillow cases 21 

Bags (various sorts) 3,859 

Muslin Envelopes for Emergency- 
Dressings 10,442 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 87 



Outfits. 

Christmas Cheer Bags (filled) 905 

Navy Kits (filled) 150 

Comfort Kits (filled) 550 

Comfort Kits (not filled) 400 

Gun wipes 115 

Swab sticks 4,000 

Trench candles 8,300 

Surgical ]3ressings 65,106 

Paper Doll sets for French and Bel- 
gian Orphans 1,068 

The Christmas cheer bags mentioned above contained 
a pair of sox, a handkerchief, a towel, soap, tooth brush 
and powder, comb, pipe, cigarette papers, tobacco, choco- 
late, a deck of cards and some other game, a tablet, a pack- 
age of envelopes and a pencil, a trench mirror, a scrap book 
and a Christmas card. The cost of each bag was between 
$1.25 and -$1.50. 




Packing Christmas Cheer Bags. 



■::ST. LOUIS; PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



The comfort kits contained white and khaki thread, 
needles, thimbles, scissors, common and safety pins, shoe 
strings, white and brown buttons. The}' cost about 45c 
each. 

The Navy kits were supplied wdth a towel, soap, tal- 
cum powder, tooth brush and paste, cold cream, shoe 
strings, a flannel abdominal bandage, buttons, a fully 
equipped "housewife," pipe tobacco, cigarette papers, deck 
of cards, tablet, envelopes and pencil. This represented 
an outlay of about $1.45 each. 

The trench candles were made of o-inch rolls of news- 
paper, dipped in parafihne. 




Making Red Cross Surgical Dressings. 

The knitted garments and the comfort kits have been 
distributed through both the American Red Cross and the 
St. Louis Comforts Committee of the Navy League. The 
Christmas cheer bags and Navy kits were largely distrib- 
uted through the latter organization, though many were 
sent by the schools directly to their boys in service. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 89 



In sewing, the different high schools have to a certain 
extent specialized along different lines. The Cleveland 
High School, for example, has made many outfits for the 
8-year-old orphan boys of Belgium, each outfit containing 
1 suit of outer garments, 1 suit of underclothes, 1 apron, 1 
sweater and 1 cap. The Ben Blewett Junior High School 
has prepared a large number of infant layettes, consisting 
of dresses, caps, jackets, bootees, shirts, binders, towels, 
sheets and pillow cases. 

At the Central High School, the American Red Cross 
has established a surgical dressings work-room which is 
open daily. At the Yeatman and the McKinley, the school 
units have opened similar work rooms for one or two days 
each week where the dressings are made under the direc- 
tion of authorized Red Cross instructors. In these two 
schools, the entire cost of equipment and materials has 
been borne by the schools. The cost of materials used has 
run from $15 to about $25 per week. 

The students of the other schools have gone to neigh- 
boring work rooms. For that reason, the figures given by 
no means represent the total number of dressings made 
by the high school girls and boys. 

Food Administration. 

- . PUBLICITY. 

' The high schools have given publicity to the work of 
the Food Administration in a great variety of ways: Nu- 
merous auditorium sessions have been devoted to the needs 
of this work. All the printed matter sent out by the Local 
Committee has been distributed or posted. Food conserva- 
tion posters have been exhibited in corridors and lunch 
rooms. The Hoover pledges were circulated in the schools 
and were sent home by the pupils. Signatures were se- 
cured in practically 100% of the families represented in 
the high schools. 



90 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




REPORT OF. THE. SUPERINTENDENT. 



91 




92 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHO0LS> 



ONE LUMP cr SUGAR 

IS PATRIOTISM 
TWO'^SLACKERISM 
THREE 15 DESERTION 
FOUR IS TREASON 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



98 




LUNCH ROOMS. 



The school lunch rooms have observed all of the Food 
Regulations punctiliouslx in both letter and spirit. The 
results have been gratifying. At the Cleveland High School, 
for instance, the amount of sugar and flour used this year 
is practically only half of that used last year. 



9.4 ,, ST, LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



COOKING AND CANNING DEMONSTRATIONS. 

The Domestic Science departments of all the schools 
have been used by the Women's Central Committee on 
Food Conservation for a course of instruction in cooking; 
and canning. The course includes 8, 10 or 12 lessons, ac- 
cording to the desires of the class, and the classes meet 
once a week. The attendance has been excellent. At the 
McKinley, during March and April, 16 evening lessons 
were given in "Hoover Cooking," with an attendance of 
between 90 and 100- people each evening. In each one of 
the schools all of the teachers of the Domestic Science 
Departments have emphasized the need and the means of 
war-time economy. 

All of the high schools joined in making an exhibit 
and demonstration of Hoover Cooking at the big Food 
Show given in the Coliseum in February, under the aus- 
pices of the Women's Central Committee on Food Conser- 
vation. The high schools gave particular prominence to^ 
some 36 kinds of War Bread. 

CLERICAL WORK. 

A large group of girls from the Soldan High School 
has done Clerical work for the Women's Central Commit- 
tee on Food Conservation on Saturdays for the greater part 
of the year. Other assistance has been given at the schools, 
for example the preparation made at the Yeatman for the 
mailing of Conservation Recipes. 

THRIFT GARDENS. 

The high schools have done much to encourage the 
cultivation of Thrift Gardens. In this work the Sumner 
High School has accomplished most. Here there is a school 
garden of one-half acre. In addition to this, the Sumner 
students are cultivating over -lOO thrift gardens at home. 
The Junior High School has cultivated a large garden on. 
the school grounds, the proceeds from which will be de- 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 95 



voted to the Red Cross. Many students here have under- 
taken to earn their Red Cross dues through the gardens 
they are cultivating at home. The Botany classes of the 
Yeatman have a fine garden on a near-by vacant lot. In 
all of these schools groups of pupils have been organized 
for the care of the gardens during the summer vacation. 

Gifts for the Cantonments. 

The High Schools have made an effort to send as 
many gifts as possible to the Cantonments where most 
of the St. Louis soldiers have been stationed. 

BOOKS. 

Between 5000 and 6000 books have been donated for 
the soldiers' libraries, besides many hundreds of maga- 
zines. 

MUSIC. 

At the Soldan High School particularly, generous 
g-ifts of music were made, including a player piano, 102 
rolls of music. 1700 pieces of sheet music and nearly 1200 
records. Other schools, for example the Central, with 75 
rolls of music, have added considerably to these contribu- 
tions. 

GAMES. 

Most of the schools have sent sporting goods of dif- 
ferent kinds to the camps, such as footballs, basket balls, 
tennis racquets, nets and balls, baseballs, bats and gloves, 
and hundreds of games of other sorts. No complete record 
of these gifts is available. 

Special Activities. 

SERVICE FLAGS, ETC. 

Each one of the St. Louis high schools is making every 
effort to keep a complete record of all former students 
who have gone into war service. These soldiers and sailors 



94 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



have been reminded of their high schools from time to 
time by Christmas packages, school papers, etc., that have 
been sent to them by the Junior Red Cross or other units. 
At the Central, a War Scrap Book, to contain all news- 
paper items, pictures, etc., that relate to former Central 
students in service is being prepared by a committee of 
teachers and students. 

The service llag which each school has, carries stars 
for on I}' those students who left school to enlist as fol- 
lows* : 

Central 20 Stars 1 Gold 

Cleveland 12 " 

McKinley 25 " 1 Gold 

Soldan 45 " 

Yeatman 21 " 1 Gold 

Junior High 4 " 

Sumner 4 " 

POSTERS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. 

The Art Department of each high school has given 
enthusiastic help to the work of preparing posters adver- 
tising every sort of war. relief work. The campaigns for 
the Red Cross, the Million Dollar Packet Fund, the Thrift 
3tamps and the Smileage Books, as well as for every local 
entertainment and sale for the benefit of a war relief organ- 
ization, have been aided effectively by original posters. 
Besides this, aid was given the Government Bureau that 
promoted the organization of Naval and Marine Scouts in 
preparing posters for exhibition throughout the city. 

All the posters sent ovit by the Red Cross, Liberty 
Loan Organization, War Savings Committee, Food and 
Fuel Administrations and War Recreation Bureau, were 
exhibited in conspicuous places. 

MILLION DOLLAR PACKET FUND. 

In November subscriptions to the Million Dollar 
Packet Fund were taken in all the high schools, to be paid 
in monthly installments during the remainder of the school 



^Corrected to September 10, 1918. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 97 



year, preferably from the earnings of the pupils them-i 
selves. 

The subscriptions to this fund amounted to $15,071.75. 
The amount of money actually paid into this fund amounts 
to $6,245.75. 

SMILEAGE BOOKS. 

Smileage books were sold in all of the high schools in 
February. Different plans for effecting sales were followed 
in the different schools. In some cases, school organiza- 
tions, classes or smaller groups of students bought books 
to be sent to former students. The number of one-dollar 
books sold in all the high schools was 1249. 

BUREAUS OF INFORMATION. 

The high schools have furnished boys for the Bureau 
of Information which the Red Cross has maintained at the 
Union Station, each school being responsible for at least 
one night a week from 4 to 10 o'clock. Assistance has 
been given in the Union Station booth of the Y. M. C. A. 
also, particularly between six-thirty and eight in the morn- 
ing. 

PUBLICITY OF THE NAVY. 

Early in the school year the Navy Recruiting Bureau 
sent excellent speakers to each of the high schools. The 
work and the opportunities in the Navy were explained, 
and the explanation was made more interesting by the 
fine moving pictures which illustrated the talks. Uater a 
naval petty officer addressed the boys of the Senior classes. 
None of these speakers urged school boys to join' the Navy. 
They endeavored only to add to the publicity of what the 
Navy is doing. 

ENROLLMENT OF BOYS FOR SUMMER WORK. 

To emphasize the importance of every body's helping 
to do the Country's work, each high school enrolled the 



98 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



boys who would be ready this summer to do agricultural, 
industrial or commercial work. The results were as follows : 

For Agricultural work 409 

For Industrial work 161 

For Commercial work 229 



799 . 
A clearing house for the placing of the boys in indus- 
trial and commercial places was not established, but through 
the aid of the St. Louis Food Conservation Committee, 
many of the boys who registered for agricultural work 
have been put in touch with farmers who need their help. 

Adjustment of the Curriculum to War Activities. 

TIME FOR WAR ACTIVITIES. 

In all of the St. Louis High Schools, meetings of the 
whole school in the Auditorium are frequent. At the 
Yeatman these meetings have always been a part of the 
daily program. In some of the schools the meetings are 
held regularly once a week. In others each is especially 
called. Without using more time than these meetings have 
usually occupied, they have furnished the opportunity of 
bringing before the schools every form of war activity. 
Most often this is done with the help of some outside 
speaker or prominent visitor, but frequently the pupils 
themselves present patriotic programs. This is notably 
the case at the Junior High School where each grade 
holds a community session each week. 

In a number of the departments the war activity has 
been made a part of the regular class work. For instance, 
in the Manual Training shops, the checker tables for the 
cantonments and the dressing tables for the Red Cross 
have been class projects. In the Domestic Science Depart- 
ments the preparation of the exhibit at the Food Show and 
a good deal of the sewing for the Belgian and French 
orphans as well as the instruction in food conservation. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 99 



are a part of the work done in class. In the Art Depart- 
ments, the design and execution of posters has been a part 
of the class work. In the English classes the study of the 
great war addresses and the preparation of patriotic speech- 
es have vitalized class room work. 

MILITARY TRAINING IN HIGH SCHOOL. 

All of the high schools have had flourishing cadet 
corps. Two adverse circumstances, however, have given 
this work a severe set-back ; first, the inability of the War 
Department longer to spare drill officers ; second, the rap- 
idity with which uniforms have been outgrown. To remedy 
the existing condition, the teachers of Physical Training 
are preparing to make Military Training a part of the 
regular gymnasium course next year. It will be required 
of all the boys, will be given in class time and will not 
require a military uniform. 

EFFECT ON REGULAR SCHOOL WORK. 

While some interruptions of regular school work have 
been inevitable, regular school work has in no sense been 
sacrificed. On the contrary, the war work has emphasized 
in so many ways the close connection between class-room 
work and war-winning work, and between war-winning 
work and peace-time work, that the pupils seem to have 
gained a new conception of what school training means. 
There is, in fact, evidence of higher scholarship for certain 
groups of pupils. Beyond a peradventure, never in the 
history of St. Louis High Schools has there been such a 
spirit of enthusiastic cooperation, such unity of thought, 
purpose and effect as marks their war activity today. An 
"esprit de corps" like this must inevitably add to the 
schools' achievements in every line of work they under- 
take. 



100 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




Red Cross Posters — the work o£ pupils of the third grade. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 101 



THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IN THE 
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 

The report on Red Cross work in the schools naturally 
covers all that was done up to the time when the St. Louis 
Junior Red Cross came into existence — February first, 
1918. The greater portion of such work in grade schools 
was then taken over by the Junior organization, and re- 
cent activities will be covered by its report. 

The desire to do and to help came long before the 
organization of the new branch. In some schools, work 
began shortly after our country entered the War, but by 
the fall of 1917, practically all schools were actively en- 
gaged in war work — knitting, snipping for comfort pillows, 
sewing, making surgical dressings. In an effort to put on 
paper something of what has been accomplished, we have 
classified these activities under various headings, listing 
first the feature which did most to give the children the 
enthusiasm and self-confidence which have made them a 
power in our civilian part of "winning the war." 

The Christmas Campaign. 

The first organized eft'ort of the schools in practical 
patriotism was the Christmas campaign for Red Cross 
memberships, December 11, 1917. Mr. Harry F. Knight, 
Chairman of the Christmas Membership Campaign Ameri- 
can Red Cross, and Mr. Bilheimer, representative of the 
same organization, addressed the Board of Education, ap- 
pealing to it to suspend certain rules in order to allow the 
distribution of Red Cross literature in the schools for the 
purpose of increasing the memberships and to allow the 
teachers to act as collectors to receive the money paid by 
parents of pupils upon their becoming members. 

This request was granted by the unanimous vote of 
the Board of Education. 



102 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



The following is an extract from a circular issued by 
the Superintendent, Dr. Withers, to the principals of all 
the schools : 

"A package including envelopes, chips. Red Cross service 
flags and buttons, will be sent to each school. These envelopes 
should be distributed to the pupils, one each, as far as they will 
go, that the pupils may take them home and return them to the 
teacher signed, with the money inclosed in the envelopes sealed. 
This method is taken to relieve the school teachers and principal 
from any counting of the money. Teachers, for their own pro- 
tection, should see that every envelope received is already sealed. 
More envelopes may be given the children upon reasonable assur- 
ance that they will be used for additional signatures, but the 
stock must be husbanded. Not a member should be lost for lack 
of an envelope, but no envelope should be wasted. 

"Upon the return of a signed and sealed envelope, the teacher 
should issue one service flag, one button, and one chip, all to be- 
come the property of the signer, who is requested to fill in name 
on the chip and deposit it with the teacher for collection and 
forwarding to President Wilson at Washington." 

To arouse greater interest and enthusiasm, mass meet- 
ings of the elementary grade pupils were held in the high 
school auditoriums, Thursday afternoon, December 20, 
at three-thirty P. M. Many schools formed parades with 
flags, banners and slogans, and marched through their 
respective districts to the nearest High School. A mass 
meeting for all High School pupils, public and parochial, 
was held in the Coliseum, following their parade through 
the down-town streets. 

The programs consisted of selections by the orchestra, 
mass singing of patriotic songs, and short addresses, tell- 
ing of the great need for assistance in carrying on the work 
of relief in the stricken countries, and urging the audience 
to make one last united effort the following day to enroll 
members. Our Superintendent, Dr. Withers, in his circu- 
lar of information in regard to these parades and meetings, 
says : 

"All of these arrangements are calculated to stimulate the 
interest and arouse the enthusiasm of the people of this city in 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 193 



the Red Cross Membership Drive. The success of the whole 
undertaking will be counted in terms of the resulting paid mem- 
berships. Business houses and educational institutions are striv- 
ing to make the memberships one hundred per cent of their re- 
spective corps. Let us round up the whole matter on Friday by- 
reporting a membership secured by school children which shall 
be greater than the entire school enrollment as an evidence to 
this city of our patriotic effort." 

The following excerpts from reports of principals are 
typical as showing the response of the schools to the call 
of President Wilson. 

"The drive for meinbership in the Red Cross during Decem- 
ber was started with a parade of the older children to Yeatman 
High, where several addresses were made to tell of the benefits 
of the Red Cross. An effort was made to get each child to obtain 
one membership before the drive was over. The children worked 
hard and succeeded in getting $217.00, some of which was ob- 
tained by small subscriptions. Six of our eighth grade pupils, 
accompanied by their teachers, worked at the McKinley Station 
on December 21, and turned in about $41.00. 

"In the Christmas drive we secured 142 members. Practically 
every teacher in the school made donations to the Red Cross. 
They participated in the campaign work for Red Cross members 
and took part in a large parade on the South Side." 

"Our school secured 118 memberships. This represented a 
very considerable effort on the part of the teachers in explain- 
ing the work of the Red Cross and in arousing enthusiasm (a 
large number of these pupils are from Italian homes). In the 
opinion of most of the teachers, the time was well spent, since 
the occasion tended to arouse the imaginations of our little people 
and made them think about other people in other countries. It 
was of course, good training in ethics, and like other calls for 
money, was a spur to economy." 

Principals, teachers and pupils in every school worked 
most enthusiastically, and through their efforts a total of 
$14,158.00 was secured, which amount was handed over 
to the Red Cross. 

The following letter is an acknowledgement by the 
chairman of the Membership Campaign of the work of the 
public schools : 



104 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SClHOOLS. 



"St. Louis, Mo., January 3, 1918. 
"Mr. Richard Murphy, Pres., 
"Board of Education, 
"9th and Locust, City. 
"My Dear Mr. Murphy: 

."Now that the Red Cross Christmas Membership Campaign 
is closed we naturally look back to the sources which really made 
it a success. Among the most important of them all was your 
kindly personal action in permitting us to present to your School 
Board our request of their assistance and the resulted action of 
the Board granting all that we could ask. 

"I wish to thank you personally and officially, Mr. Murphy, 
for your hearty approval and for the success attendant thereon. 
The St. Louis School Board, the St. Louis schools and the St. 
Louis school children were the greatest possible assistance to 
us in a patriotic work of humanity at a time when it was greatly 
needed. 

"I thank you again, and wish you and the School Board every 
success in the new year. 

Yours very truly, 

"HARRY F. KNIGHT, 

"Chairman, Chnistmas Membership 
Campaign, American Red Cross." 

Donations. 

Donations of various kinds have been received through 
the schools — namely ; small amounts of yarn for knitting, 
cuttings for gun v^ipes, articles to be sold for the benefit 
of the Red Cross, and cash proceeds from entertainments 
and from thrift gardens. The accompanying illustration 
shoves children at work in one of these gardens, from 
which vegetables were sold to the amount of $12.00. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



105 




A School Thrift Garden. 

There was also much clothing- donated for the Belgian 
and French war sufferers. A circular issued by Superin- 
tendent Withers in March contained the following: 

American Red Cross Appeal for Used Garments. 

"The American Red Cross is issuing an appeal for the im- 
mediate donation of used garments for the French and Belgian 
war sufferers. The St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross 
will deliver to the schools a sufficient number of printed hand 
bills, and you are hereby authorized to distribute this material 
to the children in the school. 

"Please let it be clearly understood by the children that this 
clothing is not to be brought to the school, but is to be delivered 
direct to 1236 Olive Street, as stated in the hand bill. 

"This action is taken in accordance with the call issued from 
the National Headquarters in Washington." 

The response was a generous contribution on the part 
of the pupils. One school reports that a motor truck was 
provided one day at the end of the noon hour. The chil- 
dren had been instructed in the morning to bring the do- 
nated clothing, and the truck was well loaded up with 
bundles for the reUef of the Belgians. 



10« ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



In some of the schools, layettes were made up for 
French and Belgian babies. Circular instructions were 
provided for the making of refugee garments, that the 
clothing sent might conform to the usage of the peoples 
for whom it was intended. 

Many entertainments have been given by the schools 
and the proceeds donated to the Red Cross. One school 
reports $250.00 as the proceeds of an evening's entertain- 
ment. Nearly $3,000.00 has been contributed by the schools 
in this way. 

We have the following from a school in one of our 
congested districts, with many pupils of foreign parentage: 

"One of the most pleasing things incident to the teaching of 
patriotism was the way the children worked outside of school for 
the Red Cross. They had little entertainments and ice cream 
stands, and several dollars were raised in this way. The mothers 
often helped the children. There were several of these functions. 
The idea originated entirely with the children, and to our mind, 
these little offerings were the highest kind of practical patriotism." 

Knitting. 

Knitting has been carried on in all of the schools, 
from the first grade through the High School, boys as 
well as girls learning to ply the needles. The teachers were 
the instructors. In some cases, knitting clubs were formed, 
and in other cases, the room group was the unit. Some- 
times, parents, teachers and children met after school to 
knit. However, this work was permitted in school after 
other work was done. Often, work begun at school was 
completed at home. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



107 




Boys as Well as Girls Have Learned to Ply the Needles. 

They started on squares, from which quilts, or afghans 
are made. The more difficult pieces, scarfs, helmets, 
sweaters, socks, wristlets, were taken up later. 

The problem in knitting was a financial one. To sup- 
ply the necessary wool to the young knitters meant the 
outlay of a large sum of money. This in some cases was 
advanced by principals and teachers. In other cases. Pa- 
trons' Associations and Mothers' Circles donated money. 
Credit is due a patriotic and generous St. Louisan, Mr. 
Sam McCluney, was supplied the necessary capital to a 
number of schools. The money was deposited with the 
Red Cross Knitting Shop for yarn, to be knitted by the 
pupils of the schools. The money was refunded when the 
completed articles were returned. 

A total of 8,675 articles has been reported as having 
been made before February 1, 1918. These were distribu- 
ted to our soldiers and sailors through the Red Cross 
Knitting Shop and the Navy League. This represents the 
work done before the war activities were organized this 



108 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



June into Red Cross Auxiliaries, and before the work of 
school children had been taken over by the Junior Red 
Cross. 




Our Children Began to Knit. 

One principal reports : 

"As soon as the United States entered the War, our children 
began to knit, working at first only on cotton wipes and wash 
cloths. In October, 1917, through the generosity of the McCluney 
Brothers, we were financed as to the necessary deposit of money 
for yarn, and since then have worked steadily on knitting as 
volunteer pick-up or busy work. Our output to date is 476 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 109 



sweaters, 298 scarfs, 93 helmets, 814 wristlets, 3 pairs socks; total, 
1684 garments made by 598 children. In addition, eight afghans 
were given to Red Cross for soldiers. 

"For the Senior Red Cross, our pupils have rescued, up to 
date, scores of pounds of knitting, by correcting improperly finish- 
ed garments knitted by adults but refused by the Chapter, and by 
ripping garments so poorly made that they could not be used, 
and washing, rc-winding and re-knitting the yarn thereof into us- 
able garments. 

"Beside the Red Cross knitting we have knitted 295 hanks 
of yarn into 230 garments for the Navy League." 

One of the South Side schools has made 65 hehnets, 
13 trench caps, 388 pairs wristlets, 44 scarfs, 20 pairs 
socks, 364 sweaters. 

The principal writes : 

"1 enclose a picture of our youngest knitter. He was seven 
years old yesterday. He has almost completed a full-size sweater. 
He was very anxious to finish it before he became seven, but 
lacked a few inches of doing so. The work was almost entirely 
done in school. 



110 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




James FarmWll — "He was very anxious to finish it before he 
became seven." 

"About one hundred of our boys and girls took up 
knitting," reports one of the smaller schools. "Most of 
them had to learn how, so we encouraged a beginning with 
small squares for soldiers' afghans." 

One school gives the history of its knitting activity 
as follows : 

"Knitting was the primary Red Cross activity. First, a meet- 
ing of mothers and teachers was held, and plans were formed for 
the carrying on of the work. We then formed room groups for 
knitting. Sometimes two rooms would combine. Teachers, parents 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. Ill 



and children would meet after school and knit, and also knit be- 
tween times. This was our first organization. 

"This scheme worked well for us, but seemed to confuse 
the knitting shop. Each group financed itself, so that each ap- 
peared on their books under the room treasurer's name and the 
name of the school also. So we combined, and made one of the 
mothers of the school director of all the knitting. She is here 
for an hour four times a week, and sometimes is here all day. 

"When we first began knitting, we divided the children up 
into three classes: (1) square knitters, (2) scarf knitters, and (3) 
purlers. We had after-school groups (see above) which taught 
knitting. We permitted knitting in school under certain condi- 
tions. 1 believe every room in the building, above the first grade, 
has turned in at least one quilt made of knitted squares. We 
have knitted 402?4 lbs. of wool. 

"Here, as elsewhere, there are teachers in the committee 
looking after the knitting. Teachers are members of the War 
Relief Association. 

"On about April 22, we started in to do 500 more sweaters. 
Since warm weather began, 1 have asked the teachers not to 
urge knitting, as 1 thought more active work better for the chil- 
dren. It was then we went after the mothers. Up to date, we 
have finished over 200." 

With the above report is included an appeal for the 
Sweater Campaign, written by a pupil: 

"Deep down in my heart 
Something seems to say 
'Help the Red Cross 
And help it today! 
ivnit soldiers' sweaters. 
Scarfs and helmets too, 
To free the world 
From the Kaiser's fetters, 
And help the Red, White and Blue. 

Are you a member of the Red Cross? 

If not, become one today; 

Let everything else go a-begging, 

And work on a soldier's sweater — 

A sweater to keep some soldier warm 

And make him think of home.' " 



X12 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



r^ Sewing. 

The sewing machine has come to an important part 
of the school equipment. In many of the schools, machines 
have been loaned for the making of articles much needed 
by the Red Cross. Pupils work when lessons have been 
studied, or after school hours. In many cases, mothers 
have been eager to help and have assembled for work. 

Articles made by the various schools amount to a 
total of 31,477 front bags, 44,187 gun wipes, 296 comfort 
pillows, 23 pneumonia jackets, 192 pinafores and 80 bed 
socks. Excerpts from reports received describe some of 
the work done. 

"We borrowed nine sewing machines from the neighborhood. 
With the aid of the seventh and eighth grade girls and of the 
teachers, we sewed about 1,000 front parcel covers. Out of this 
beginning grew a regular organization of ladies who wanted to 
do Red Cross work. They secured a vacant room next door to 
the school and we loaned them five machines after getting the 
consent of the owners. They have worked faithfully on Tuesday 
and Friday of each week. They are doing French and Belgian 
work especially." 

"The pupils of the primary grades prepared 365 gunwipes. 
Five quilts were prepared by pupils and teachers, as follows: a 
patchwork quilt from the pupils of Room 3, assisted by the teacher; 
one afghan to the Red Cross, valued at $15.00;' one afghan to 
Battleship Missouri, valued at $15.00; one afghan to Red Cross 
for French babies, valued at $5.00. 

"132 pinafores, 198 towels, 63 property bags and 630 front 
bags were made. 

"A Red Cross room has been fitted up. Four sewing ma- 
chines were loaned by patriotic mothers, and much sewing was 
done by mothers at these machines." 

"We sewed bed socks and carpet rags, the latter of which will 
be woven by the loom into rugs for Red Cross houses." 

"We keep from four to six sewing machines, borrowed from 
mothers in the district, in the assembly room, where the women 
of the district, and the larger girls, make different articles for the 
Red Cross. There are always more mothers ready to sew than we 
can accommodate." 



REPORT OY THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



113 





1 '.^lS^^» .< J^^l 


.^9J^SLi^»i''^^ 





A Grade School Knitting Party 

"We ha\"e planned a community centre for summer 
Red Cross work. Twelve sewing machines have been 
loaned and are being put in order, and 160 women have 
pledged themselves to sew at least one-half day each 
week." 

From a down-town school, where the parentage is 
largely foreign, w^e have the following : 

"We have made and sent to Barnes Hospital 4600 bags for 
Front Parcels. We have six sewing machines going all day. The 
mothers come and help with the work." 

The smallest children have helped in the sewing divi- 
sion by "snipping" — cutting scraps of cloth into tiny pieces 
to be used as iilling for pillows. These comfort pillows are 
16x20 inches, stulTed wdth finely snipped white or light- 
colored material. The container is white, and they are 
furnished with a separate white pillow slip. In one school, 
the little tots "snipped" during spare time, and regularly 
during the Mctrola hour, enjoying the music the more 
because they felt that they, too were rendering a service 
to their country. 



114 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 




The Little Snippers. 
Surgical Dressings. 

Teachers and pupils have rendered valuable assistance 
in this activity. Many of the former have qualified as Red 
Cross instructors. The regulations of the Red Cross make 
it necessary for the work to be done in centres fitted up 
and supervised by the organization. From various schools, 
teachers and groups of girls in charge of teachers have 
been taken to hospitals or to Washington University to 
assist in making surgical dressings. This work is still 
under the Senior Red Cross. 

A centre has been established at the Clark School, 
which, occupying otherwise vacant rooms, is a type of work 
that may be carried on in any elementary school where ac- 
commodations are available. From this school we have the 
following report : 

"The Red Cross Centre at the Clark School sprang out of 
the Red Crc work, which later was Junior Red Cross work. 
There had br - gathered together to aid in promoting all forms 
of war worl- group of twity or thirty women of the Clark 

district. Thi '"oup was sr^-^c'ed by the teaclTcrs of the school, 
and met weel:!y in executive session with the Principal. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 115 



"The proposition to have a full-fledged Red Cross Centre 
at Clark was made at one of these meetings and met with enthu- 
siastic acceptance. Mrs. Post, one of the mothers, was put in 
charge of the movement, and conferred with Mrs. Hammer and 
the school authorities. The chief difficult}' was found when it 
developed that there would be available too few Red Cross in- 
structors to handle the proposed centre. It was also necessary to 
be assured of the general demand for the enterprise. 

"To meet tlie first difficulty, twenty of the Clark War Relief 
Committee (the official name of the aforementioned group of 
ladies) enlisted in the training class at Barnes Hospital. To meet 
the second, circulars were sent home to parents by the children, 
and about a hundred and fifty ladies (those not doing Red Cross 
work because it had not been brought geographically close enough 
to them) signed to work at least a half-day a week. It was evident 
also that by extending the notice to neighboring schools, we could 

increase our enrollment indefinitely. 

"At this point the scheme was definitely approved and taken 
over by the Red Cross St. I.ouis Chapter. While the instructors 
were being prepared at Barnes, adjusting and equipping was going 
on at the school, and a great amount of telephoning was being 
done in the neighborhood as to when we were to begin. 

"Four rooms of the school were not this year occupied by 
classes. By shifting some of the groups of children around, these 
four vacant rooms were brought together on the ground floor, 
at the north side of the building, and were turned over to the Red 
Cross. This seemed the wisest placing of the centre for various 
good reasons, and experience has shown the judgment to have 
been correct. 

"In due time (April 16) the Centre was opened. Over two 
hundred white-robed mothers trooped in and filled and over- 
filled the two working rooms. In the afternoon another concourse 
assembled. With natural fluctuations In attendance, this has been 
going on ever since. 

"Workers are not confined to Clark School people. The ad- 
vantage of the work rooms has spread among the church people 
and from friend to friend, until it is generally known. There has 
been little or no advertising necessary to secure what workers are 
needed. There are now enrolled between 1,200 and 1,.'500 workers. 
This includes the Soldan High School group of young Red Cross 
workers, composed of several hundred girls, but does not include 
a group of about forty Clark School children nor a similar group 
from our neighboring school. 



116 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



"The rooms are known as the Muslin Room, the Gauge 
Room, the Cutting Room, and the Packing Room. Besides these, 
it was found necessary to put twenty tables in the broad hallway 
to accommodate the Soldan girls. In the halls also are great bales 
and packing cases of material to be made up. From the packing 
room, material is packed to be shipped to France. 

"The output of the Centre is second only to the mother 
centre at Barnes Hospital. This means that a large percentage 
of the output of St. Louis is made in the Clark School Centre. 

"The significant points to school people in the situation are 
the following: 

"It demonstrates that an enterprise of that magnitude can 
be run in a public school right alongside of the regular school 
work, and create no distraction, no confusion, no friction. The 
ladies do not bother the school; the children pay no attention 
to the ladies. 

"It is a splendid example of making the school building a 
community centre, for the common work both of children and 
their elders in War activity. 

"It is an excellent example of how a school organization, 
through its management at the inception, through the use of 
school spirit, and through the use of its advertising advantages, 
can promote, develop and vitalize enterprises for the public good. 
The Clark School does not manage or control the Clark School 
Red Cross Centre, but the Clark School as a social organism is 
a big, strong mothering factor in its life, as well as being the 
cause of its beginning. And the Board of Education, through 
giving the use of the building, is, with little cost to its funds, 
making a big contribution for a patriotic cause." 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



117 




The Clark School, A Center for Surgical Dressings. 



The Red Cross Parade. 

In the inspirational parade of May 18, 1918, to inau- 
gurate the St. Louis drive for $1,800,000 for the second 
Red Cross war fund of $100,000,000, school children made 
an effective and beautiful display. The parade ended in 
Forest Park, at Art Hill ; and on its slope, 8,000 children 
in red capes and caps, flanked by white-robed children 
who furnished a border, formed a mammoth living cross. 
Below them, other children, 6,000 of them, fell into place 
to form the letters of the words "Red Cross." The young 
workers were literally showing their colors. 

Manifestly, not all that has been accomplished can 
be reduced to statistics. The bigness of the undertaking — 
parents, teachers and children working together, school 
cooperating with school, the cheerful enlistment side by 



118 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



side of those of varying races and differing creeds — has 
welded our city into a harmonious community, serving 
efficiently the furthering of a sublime cause. We believe 
the present generation of children are learning that Serv- 
ice means sympathy as well as sacrifice, a desire and will- 
ingness to help others as well as a feeling that it is one's 
duty and obligation to do so. They will grow up with a^ 
sense of their duty to the commonwealth, with an under- 
standing of the worth of free institutions and good govern- 
ment. They have learned to value and love America in a 
newer and deeper sense. 

In the words of our Superintendent: "It now becomes 
the great duty and privilege Of those engaged in the instruc- 
tion of these children to keep the schools of St. Louis 
American in the fullest and truest sense of the word." 



REPOBT OP THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



119 



WORK OF THE JUNIOR RED CROSS. 

Preliminary Organization. 

Any examination of the list of Junior Red Cross activi- 
ties which the St. Louis Public Schools have to report must 
be undertaken with the knowledge that these activities have 
been systematical!}' pursued for a period of four and one 
half months only. It was on January 31, 1918 that the 
Superintendent called together the first committee to out- 
line a campaign of Junior Red Cross work in the St. Louis 
Public Schools and it was at the meeting of the Board of 
Education of February 11th that the report of this com- 
mittee, as presented by Superintendent Withers, was 
adopted and Junior Red Cross work was' formally begun in 
the schools. 




High School Alumnae Players in Shakespear's Twelfth Night. 
Presented as a Red Cross Benefit. 



120 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



The report referred to is as follows : 

Cordially approving the declaration of President Wilson that 
the Junior Red Cross provides an opportunity for a "Realization 
in public education of the new emphasis which the war has given 
to the ideals of democracy and the broader conceptions of national 
life," this Committee submits that statement as an adequate ex- 
pression of the nature and function of the Junior Red Cross, and 
offers the follows suggestion: ^ 

That the Superintendent of Instruction recommend to the 
Board of Education 

1. That the Junior Red Cross be officially recognized in 
the St. Louis Public Schools. 

2. That the Junior Red Cross be hereafter designated as 
the only medium through which activities requiring the coopera- 
tion of the schools with Avar-relief and other national and civic 
movements, not included in the prescribed courses of study, shall 
be carried on. 

3. That this organization in the schools may also serve 
as the agency for carrying on any other work that the Board of 
Education may initiate. 

4. That the Superintendent of Instruction constitute a Com- 
mittee which, at his direction, shall act in an advisory or an ex- 
ecutive capacity. 

CHESTER B. CURTIS, Secretary, 

W. J. STEVENS, 

L. R. ERNST, 

PHILO S. STEVENSON, 

GEO. PLATT KNOX, Chairman. 

The Junior Red Cross Committee. 

To this committee were soon added new members. 
The enlarged committee with the functions of its 
various members is now as follows : 

George Piatt Knox, Chairman. 

Chester B. Curtis, Vice-Chairman. 

L. J. Sexton, Treasurer. 

T. E. Spencer, Secretary. 

Miss T. C. Geeks, Sub-Committee, Enrollment. 

Philo S. Stevenson, Sub-Committee, V/ays and Means. 

W. J. Stevens, Sub-Committee, Salvage. 

Miss L. R. Ernst, Sub-Committee, Work. 

Miss E. G. Campbell, Drive Sub-Committee. 

R. A. Kissack, Manual Arts. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



121 



H. C. Irish, School Gardens. 

D. Walter Potts, Supt. East St. Louis Schools. 

R. G. Russell, Supt. St. Louis County Schools. 

Brother -Gerald, Catholic Parochial Schools. 

W. Hallerberg, Lutheran Parochial Schools. 

Edmund H. Sears, Private Schools. 

Louis Gustafson, Lidustrial and Commercial Schools. 

Airs. C. R. Curtis, Sub-Committee, Purchasing. 




Junior Red Cross Committee. 
Geo. Piatt Knox, Chairman, Absent. 

Seated from Left to Right: Miss Edith G. Campbell, Chester B. 
Curtis, Mrs. Virgie Hammar, Miss L. R. Ernst, Miss T. C. Geeks, 

Standing from Left to Right: Philo S. Stevenson, R. A. Kis- 
sack. Dr. Edward Sears, Lewis Gustafson, L. J. Sexton, W. J. 
Stevens, T. E. Spencer, R. G. Russell. 

Outline of Projected Activities. 

Closely following upon its organization the committee 
agreed that there were four lines of activity properly to 
claim its attention : 



122 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Viz., enrollment of pupils as members of the Junior 
Red Cross and of schools as auxiliaries, money raising, the 
encouragement of pupils to perform war winning service 
and the bringing of the Junior Red Cross before the public 
in a spectacular way as by parades and festivals. Summar- 
ized, these lines of activity finally took the form outlined 
below : 

1. Enrollment in the St. Louis District, comprising, St. 
Louis City, St. Louis County and East St. Louis, 111. 

A. Public Schools. 

B. Non-sectarian private schools. 

C. Catholic parochial schools. 

D. Lutheran parochial schools. 

E. Industrial and commercial schools. 

2. Money raising. 

A. Through membership on a cash basis of 35 cents 

per pupil. 

B. Entertainments, festivals, bazaars, cake and pie 

socials, dances, concerts, games, lawn parties and 

moving picture shows. 
(Chairman George Piatt Knox prepared a lecture entitled 
"The Birth of the Flag," which he presented with success at many 
schools holding meetings for the purpose of raising funds for the 
J. R. C.) 

C. Contributions. 

D. Sale of products of thrift gardens, sale of pigs, 

sheep, rabbits, chickens, calves, etc. 

E. From the sale of salvage. 

1. Tin foil of all kinds. 

2. Collapsible tubes which contained tooth paste, 

shaving cream, cold cream, extract, vaseline, 
and other toilet articles. 

3. Gold and silver and broken bits of jewelry for 

the "melting pot." 

4. Silver-plated water pitchers, castors, teapots 

and trays. 

5. Scrap zinc. 

6. Clean dry-cell battery zinc. 

7. Battery lead from storage batteries. 

8. Rubber boots and rubber shoes. 

9. Arties. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 123 



10. Rubber tire casings of all kinds. 

11. Inner tubes. 

12. Old clothes wringers. 

3. War Winning Service. 

A. Assistance in Red Cross Drives. 

B. Thrift Stamp, War Certificate and Liberty Bond 

buying. 

C. Bond Campaign help. 

D. Food production. 

E. Food conservation. 

F. Red Cross supplies. 

1. Knitting. 

2. Surgical dressings. 

3. Hospital garments. 

4. Hospital supplies. 

5. Refugee garments. 

6. Making and filling comfort bags and kits. 

7. Carpentry work. 

8. Miscellaneous — Gunwipes, Baby Afghans, Sol- 

diers' Afghans, Patch quilts. 

4. Publicity. 

The Junior Red Cross Parade of May ISth, J. R. 
C. and Liberty Bond Parades local to the 
school district. 

Responsive to the kind invitation of Mrs. Frank V. 
Hammar, Chairman of he St. Louis Chapter American Red 
Cross, the committee decided to hold its meetings in her 
offices. Furthermore, Mrs. Hammar was asked to sit with 
the committee and to participate in all its discussions. In 
complying with this request she was compelled to submit 
to large demands upon her time but her contributions of 
advice and suggestion were so helpful that her presence 
at the meetings could have been ill spared. 

Following the outline presented above which the com- 
mittee adopted for its guidance chairman Knox assigned 
specific duties to every member of the committee and en- 
joined upon all wholehearted devotion to the large and im- 
portant tasks which had to be undertaken. 



124 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Creating School Auxiliaries. 

Among" the first of these was the estabhshment of a 
basis upon which a school might become an "AuxiHary" 
and so secure a charter permitting it to work for the Red 
Cross and a banner significant of its possession of that priv- 
ilege. It was agreed that schools might become Auxiliar- 
ies by one of these three methods or a combination of them 
as, for example, a cash pa3nnent of 25 cents per pupil by 
a certain number of pupils, supplemented b}'^ a pledge from 
the school that it would complete its cash payment after 
holding an entertainment for the purpose. 

1. Cash basis, the payment into the Jimioi" Red Cross treas- 
ury of a sum equal to 25 cents for each pupil enrolled. 

2. Credit, in part or total, of a sum equal to 25 cents per 
pupil. This credit to be secured by a promise of salvage collection 
or by actual collection, or by activity in the Red Cross Christmas 
Fund Drive. (For example, a school that had secured three hun- 
dred memberships in the Red Cross at the time of the Christmas 
Drive received credit at once to the extent of six hundred member- 
ships in the Junior Red Cross. If this school had an enrollment 
of one thousand pupils a cash payment by that school for four 
hundred memberships would make an Auxiliary of it immediately.) 

3. Pledge by principal of school applying, either 

A. That the school auxiliary will contribute to Ameri- 

can Red Cross by June, 1918, an amount of 
made up material done according to specifica- 
tions of the American Red Cross equal in 
value to 25 cents per pupil school membership, 
or, 

B. That the school auxiliary will earn by June, 1918, 

and devote to School Red Cross Fund an 
amount of money equal to 25 cents per pupil 
school membership. 

Suffice it to say that throughout the St. Louis District 
schools of every character which were potential Auxiliaries 
addressed themselves with the greatest enthusiasm to the 
task of becoming actual Auxiliaries. At the present time 
all of the St. Louis and East St. Louis public schools have 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 125 



enrolled as Auxiliaries. Of a total of 396 school — public, 
parochial and private — in the District, 381 are now Auxiliar- 
ies, or "100%". In justice to the East St. Louis public 
schools it is to be said in this connection that they became 
"100%" before the organization of the Junior Red Cross . 
Committee and so were earliest prepared to take their place 
as active workers. 

Raising a Working Capital 

The usual arrangement was made by the Red Cross 
with the Auxiharies whereby wool purchased from the Red 
Cross Work Shop when worked up into finished articles 
could be exchanged for a new supply equal in weight to the 
knitted garments, but in the case of any other materials, 
their purchase depleted the Auxiliary treasury to the extent 
of the amount bought, consequently the schools were under 
the necessity of keeping their treasury balances replenished 
in various ways. The school entertainment was the com- 
monest method resorted to and schools and teachers vied 
with one another in the ingenuity and resourcefulness dis- 
played in making the entertainment attractive to its patrons 
and seductive to their pocket books. 

Many schools chartered a neighboring moving picture 
house for one or two afternoons and evenings and turned 
the receipts to the Junior Red Cross treasury. Some held 
indoor picnics and bazaars, where articles made by the 
pupils or contributed by patrons of the schools were sold 
or auctioned. One enterprising school bought, and secur- 
ed by gift, sandwiches, pie, cake, ice cream and coffee ; held 
double session on a given day and then sold lunches to the 
pupils, all of whom stayed at school instead of going home 
for the mid-day meal. Others gave plays, pantomines, con- 
certs or dances and earned thus from twenty-five dollars to 
five hundred fifty dollars from their efforts. 

Early in May a series of concerts was presented by the 
high and elementary school choruses and orchestras. 



126 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



By unanimous vote of the pupils taking part, instead 
of the usual assignment of free tickets to each participant 
for distribution, an admission fee was charged. The sum 
of six hundred seventy dollars thus secured was turned 
over to the general treasury of the Junior Red Cross. 

Another lucrative source of revenue to the Auxiliaries 

was from salvage. Great credit for a high degree of organi- 

ation and efficiency in the collection and sale of salvage 

belongs to the resourceful committee having supervision 

of this phase of the work. 




Junior Red Cross Parade in Forest Park, May 18, 1918. 
School marching in the form of a Red Cross. 



Work. 



The list of articles made in the schools will be found 
at the close of the report on Junior Red Cross activities and 
testifies more eloquently than any descriptive narrative 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



127 



how zealously, with what single minded consecration, the 
St. Louis Schools responded to the call of a nation at war. 
Although a part of the present report deals with the entire 
St. Louis Red Cross District, a district not confined to 
St. Louis City, the appended list of activities entered into 
and of articles made applies to the public schools of St. 
Louis only. 

Thanks are here rendered the tailoring firms who gave 
materials to certain schools for the construction of block 
and patch quilts and to several sewing machme companies 
whose loan of machines greatly increased the output of 
machine sewed articles from certain schools. Responsi- 
bility for much of the admirable showing made by the 
schools can be laid at the door of the Work Committee 
and its untiring chairman. 




Marching through Forest Park in the Junior Red Cross Parade, 

May 18, 1918. 



128 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Furthermore, the exceptional skill and organizing abil- 
ity brought to her task by the head of the Purchasing Com- 
mittee guaranteed prompt and uniformly satisfactory de- 
livery of selected material to the schools. 




Junior Red Cross Parade, May 18, 1918. 



Thrift Gardens. 



The following statement of the activities of the Thrift 
'Garden Committee is taken from a report by Mr. Irish : 

Shortly after the organization of the Junior Red Cross 
Committee a circular was issued and distributed among 
pupils with the injunction to show it to their parents. This 
circular explained the opportunity for war winning serv- 
ice offered both to children and adults by the thrift garden. 
It was accompanied by a pledge for pupils to sign a copy 
of which is here submitted. 



REPORT OP THE SUPERINTENDENT, 



129 




Passing the reviewing stand in Junior Red Cross Parade, 
May 18, 1918. 

ST. LOUIS CHAPTER, JUNIOR RED CROSS 
THRIFT GARDEN PLEDGE. 

A. I hereby pledge to^cloniy best in the work of the 

School garden as a part of the personal service I 

can render to my country. 

B. I desire to enroll as a gardener in a Community Thrift 
Garden and hereby pledge to do my best in this form of service 
to my country. 

C. I hereby enlist as a gardener in the United States School 

Garden Army and pledge to maintain at my home 

Street a Thrift Garden measuring x feet of 

surface. 

I shall willingly cooperate with others in my school in mak- 
ing the best disposal of the produce, either for food in my home 
or for sale, and subsequent disposal of money so earned. 
Date 

Signed Pupil 



130 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



I approve and I will help all I can. 

Parent 

TO THE PUPIL: Fill out whichever one of the fir.'^t three 

pledges A, B or C, you prefer and cross out the two not used. 




Approaching the reviewing stand in Junior Red Cross Parade, 
May 18, 1918. 



Although late in being sent out the pledge secured the 
signatures of four thousand children who were already 
engaged in this work or who intended to perform garden 
work at school, at home or in a community garden. Once 
the pledges began to come in the work of the Thrift Gar- 
den Committee was to advise the young gardeners what 
to plant and how to plant it, what treatment was necessary 
for the soil, what tools must be procured, how seed could 
be bought to best adxantagc. what should, be the depth 
of rows and their distance apart, rules for waterin*i and 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



131 



weeding and where vacant lots or parts of lots could be 
secured for planting. With this report going to press in 
June no summary of results obtained in the way of crops 
raised for home consumption or for sale can be submitted 
until later in the summer. 




High School Students in Junior Red Cross Parade, May 18, 1918, 

near Art Hill. 



Parades. 



The great Junior Red Cross Parade of May l.Sth and 
the numerous parades held by individual schools through 
their respective school districts furnished those opportun- 
ities for a display of loyalty and patriotic devotion for 
which children are always keen. In the first named over 
eleven thousand children of the upper grades, accompanied 
by fourteen school drum corps and seven professional 
bands marched from Lindell and Taylor through Forest 



132 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Park past an inspiring human red cross placed on Art Hill 
then on to the reviewing stand. Every school displayed 
one or two United States flags, a school banner and the 
school Auxiliary banner so that the entire procession of- 
fered an appearance of variety in uniformity which caused 
it to take rank with the finest spectacles the people of St. 
Louis have ever looked upon. None who stood as specta- 
tors and none who took part in the parade but felt their 
hearts burn with new patriotism and new reverence. This 
parade having been organized and generally directed by 
Chairman George Piatt Knox fittingly crowned his su- 
pervisory labors in Junior Red Cross for the year. 



kj^^^^^^S, '.' 


M 









High School Students approaching the Wabash Railway Bridge. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 133 



SUMMARY. 

Junior Red Cross Activities Undertaken and Articles Made 
by Pupils Between February 12th and June 14th. 

1. Money. 

Contributed by pupils $19,019.25 

From outside sources 774.97 

From concerts, entertainments, Festivals, etc. 4,089.1-1 

Total $23,883.36 

In addition to this cash total two schools have pledged them- 
selves to a contribution of twenty-five dollars per month each 
for the school year 1918-1919. Three schools bought Liberty Bonds 
and devote the interest to the Junior Red Cross. 

2. Junior Red Cross Benefits Held 40 

3. Salvage Collection 

Waste paper to the value of $ 3,843.13 

Other salvage 728.61 



4,571.', 4 

Salvage of various kinds to the amount of 15,301 pounds 
had been collected but had not yet been sold at the time of the 
compilation of this report. 

4. Knitting and Crocheting 

Sweaters 1,686 

Mufiflers 376 

Afghans 134 

Wristlets 2,049 

Socks — pairs 577 

Helmets 260 

Blankets 39 

Belgian scarfs 1,460 

Wash cloths 365 

5. Red Cross Parade, May 18th — pupils participating 11,334 

6. Local Parades through Respective School Dis- 

tricts (schools) 25 

7. Schools Writing Letters to Soldiers 10 

8. AppHcator Sticks Cut 703.000 

9. Sewing 

Front Parcels 38,129 

Pinafores 80 

Woolen patch blankets 24 



134 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



10. Thrift Gardens Planted 4,000 

11. Pupil Memberships 

A. St. Louis District 120,284 

B. St. Louis City 89,502 

12. Miscellaneous 

Gun wipes 37,315 

Library Books Contributed 1,930 

Snipped Pillows 82 

Articles of clothing for Belgians 130 

Shot bags 2,200 



A KNITTING SONG 

Or the St. Louis Public Schools. 

Suggested by a similar song of the Minneapolis Public 
Schools, to the Tune of "Over There": 

Johnnie, get your yarn, get your yarn, get your yarn; 

Knitting has a charm, has a charm, has a charm. 

Webster folks are all true blue. 

Soldier boys, we'll knit for you. 

Hurry every day, don't delaj^, make it pay. 

Our laddies must be warm, not forlorn, in the storm. 

Hear them call from o'er the sea, 

"Make a sweater, please for me"! 

Chorus: 
Over here, everywhere. 
We will knit for the boys over there, 
It's a sock or sweater — 
If you can't do better, 
Go get your yarn and knit a square. 
Have a care, do your share. 
Of the work for the boys over there. 
Every sweater, we'll make it better, 
When we knit for the boys in the trenches over there. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 135 



FOOD ADMINISTRATION IN THE ELEMENTARY 

SCHOOLS. 

The food situation and its vital importance in rela- 
tion to the war. was appreciated very early in St. Louis, 
and this city was one of the first two cities in the country 
to organize for the purpose of meeting the situation. From 
the beginning, the Board of Education has given its hearty 
cooperation to the Chamber of Commerce Committee 
working with what was at first known as the Women's 
Central Committee on Food Conservation, but which has 
recently been amalgamated with the Food Administration 
Committee of St. Louis. 

Work of Last Summer. 

In the spring of 1917, a month before Mr. Hoover 
arrived in x\merica, the Committee appointed by the Cham- 
ber of Commerce to aid in the conservation, production, 
and distribution of food, held one hundred and fifty mass 
meetings in various schools of the city, to arouse the peo- 
ple to an appreciation of the great need of conserving 
food. During the summer one school in each of the twenty- 
eight wards of the city was used as ward headquarters for 
the food conservation work. The school buildings were 
used extensively as meeting places for food conservation 
schools, and for instruction to children in gardening, the 
number of schools used having increased to fifty-nine by 
the end of the summer. 

Publicity. 

During this school year, the grade schools have co- 
operated very directly and actively with the Women's Cen- 
tral Committee on Food Conservation, in the various 
phases of its work. One of the important activities was 
the distribution of posters throughout the schools, and 
the distribution among the children and by them to the 
homes and the district at large, of dodgers and recipes 



-136 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



sent out from the Central Committee. Through the efforts 
of some of the children, a number of the posters were put 
up in the stores of the neighborhood. Additional volun- 
tary work was done by some of the teachers and principals 
in distributing extra posters and recipes to the children, 
as well as in distributing sets of recipes directly to the 
mothers in their homes ; in the printing privately or at 
tlie expense of a special school fund, or through a boys' 
printing class, of dodgers announcing organization meet- 
ings for war cookery classes and canning clubs ; and in 
mimeographing of special personal appeals to the parents 
to aid in the conservation of food. 

Hoover Pledge. 

The campaign for the signing of the Hoover Pledge 
in the schools, and through the schools, in the districts, 
was very effective and resulted in about 115,140 signa- 
tures from the grade schools, and 12,794: from the high 
schools. In one school, the Clark, especial, detailed food 
conservation pledge was instituted in each room, and 
special monitors interviewed each child personally once 
a week, to get a report as to how far he had been able to 
keep his pledge. The influence of this went into the homes 
and the district at large, to the education of the whole 
neighborhood. 

Potato Week. 

"Potato Week," which was a week of special interest 
and effort, was observed very generally in the schools. 
The activities in behalf of the increased use of the potato 
included many talks by the teachers, the learning of slo- 
gans, the copying and distributing of recipes, the planting 
of potatoes in the garden, the roasting of potatoes for 
lunch in an outdoor oven, special lessons on the food 
value and use of the potato, beside many lessons correlated 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 137 



with this subject. Speeches on the subject of the more 
extensive use of potatoes were prepared by the children of 
.one school, the Columbia, and seven of the one hundred 
speeches were delivered at a meeting of the four upper 
rooms. An example of the practical results of the potato 
campaign ma}" be seen in the report of one school, where 
.three children said they had eaten no bread at all during 
the week, five children had eaten only one slice, and eleven 
only three slices, while, however in the same room, one 
unpatriotic boy said he had eaten aJ the bread he could 
get. 

Food Regulations Carried Out in the Lunch Rooms. 

The direct cooperation of the grade schools with the 
Food Administration in carrying out the food regulations 
in the regular lunch rooms was possible only in five schools 
where the Children's Lunch Association had established 
the Penny Lunches. The wheatless and meatless days 
were observed in these centers. At one school, the Blow, 
the Lunch Association has done especially good work 
through their conservation talks to the children, which 
resulted in the children's specifying whether or not they 
cared for the extra slice of bread which is served with the 
soup, thus often leaving it for another hungrier child, in- 
stead of taking it themselves merely to throw it into the 
refuse can. It was at this school, that a pupil was heard 
to say to another who had left a little cocoa in her cup, 
"Do you call that Hooverizing?" Other attempts have 
been made in the schools to reduce the waste, and to in- 
fluence the children to bring proper lunches from home. 
The result has been a gradual reduction of the amount 
of meat used, and the amount of bread wasted. In one 
school composed largely of foreigners, the Shaw, it was 
reported that as late as the first of January, there was still 
a peck to half bushel of bread scraps left from the chil- 



138 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



dren's lunches. This now has been reduced to about one- 
third of that amount. At another school, the Oak Hill, 
it is said that the janitor's boy was able to buy two suits 
of clothes a year, by selling the bread scraps for chicken- 
food. Through the efforts of the principal and teachers, 
these have been reduced to less than one-tenth of the 
former amount. The boy is said to have given up school 
and gone to work. 

Use of Schools for Food Administration Classes 
and Meetings. 

Liberal use has been made of the schools for the 
purpose of organizing the Food Administration War Cook- 
ery Classes. In about thirty schools, the Mothers Clubs 
and Parent Teacher's Associations were addressed by mem- 
bers of the Central Committee on Food Conservation for 
the purpose of informing the mothers concerning the need 
of conservation; for the purpose of organizing classes in 
substitute cookery to be held in the schools and libraries; 
and for organizing district helpers for food and price in- 
vestigation. In one school, the Fremont, the Parent Teach- 
er's Association had several talks by the principal also, on 
the correct feeding of children as well as on the subject 
of food conservation. At the Patriotic Food Show in the 
Coliseum, this same organization took charge of one after- 
noon, when the subject of the proper feeding of children 
and the work of the Children's Lunch Association was 
brought to the attention of the public. 

Only about six grade schools have been used during 
the year for the cookery classes themselves, because there 
is no gas connection in most of them, outside of the do- 
mestic science centers, and these rooms are too small to 
hold an audience. The average attendance in the cooking 
classes in the schools is about seventy-five. 

Additional use has been made of the schools recently, 
for the purpose of organizing the Boys' and Girls' War 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 139 



Canning- Clubs, conducted by the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. Ten grade and two high school do- 
mestic science centers are to be used this summer by these 
clubs for canning and drying. About six hundred signa- 
tures of boys and girls from ten or eleven to eighteen years 
of age have been sent in, — one w^est end school sending 
the signatures of thirty-five boys. Practically all the schools 
in the city will be represented in this work, since addi- 
tional centers are to be established at the play grounds, 
and no one will be deterred from joining the club, for the 
drying at least, since it involves no expense for containers. 
Every member of the Canning Club takes the H. 
Pledge of the National Organization as follows : "I con- 
secrate my head, my hand, my heart, my health, to the 
conservation of food, and to do my part to win the war 
for World peace." The pupils may bring their own home 
garden produce, or the food is bought, and the cost pro- 
rated among the Club members canning on that day. Each 
child pays for what he cans, and takes the food home 
with him. At the Municipal Play Day the last of August, 
the canned goods are exhibited. The Club members are 
encouraged to join a demonstration contest. The team of 
three which wins at this contest between the centers, is 
given a trip to the State Fair at Sedalia in the fall, and 
the winning team of the state goes to Washington in Janu- 
ary. The boys and girls of the Meramec and Froebel 
Schools organized a Canning Club several weeks before 
school closed, and their club began canning at the open- 
ing of the Wild Hunter Market, on May 24th. This phase 
of food conservation work is very valuable as it is edu- 
cating the children in home industry for times of peace 
as well as war. 

Thrift Gardens. 

In response to the need for greater production of 
food, increased effort has been exerted in the maintenance 



140 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



of thrift gardens. There are about seventy-four school gar- 
dens maintained either at the schools or on vacant lots 
in the neighborhood. 

The majority of these gardens are community gardens, 
and the proceeds from most of them are to go to the 
Junior Red Cross. The acreage of the school gardens has 
been increased by about one-third of the amount culti- 
vated last year, and many more vegetables, to the exclu- 
sion of flowers, have been planted. 




Individual Thrift Garden at Old Open Air School. 

The number of individual thrift gardens is at least 
10,000, as far as it has been possible to estimate, a large 
majority of which are home thrift gardens. It seems that 
the number of individual gardens started this year was 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 141 



less than that of last year, but the number that are actually 
being maintained at the present exceeds the number main- 
tained last year. The School Garden supervisor and his 
assistants supervise the school gardens during the sum- 
mer and are ready to help with the home thrift gardens 
at the request of the individual children, if this request 
comes through the school. To encourage the children to 
work in their individual gardens during the summer, sev- 
eral schools hold exhibits of vegetables in the fall. The 
interest and cooperation of the mothers in the subject of 
gardening was manifested in at least one school, which re- 
ported that several programs on gardening were given at 
the mothers' meetings. ' 

Junior Protective Garden League. 

Another aspect of food production through garden ac- 
tivities which has been encouraged through the schools, 
is that represented by the Junior Protective Garden League 
of the Women's Central Committee on Food Conservation. 
Last year, the membership was between eight and nine 
hundred ; this year it is about fourteen hundred, and rep- 
resents lifty-four schools. This organization is for the 
protection of the gardens in all parts of the city, against 
destruction and depredations, and very effective work has 
been done. This year, in addition, the Garden Club of the 
League oft'ers to those members who wish it, an individual 
garden plot in one of the five League Community gardens, 
which are maintained on vacant lots in various parts of 
the city and are each directed by a supervisor and assis- 
tants. The seeds are furnished the children, and the gar- 
den tools are loaned them. The children are working their 
gardens twice a week now instead of once a week as dur- 
ing the spring. Where the distance from the home is great, 
the League furnishes the carfare. Through the cooperation 
of the State Department of Agriculture, an expert gardener 
visits each center once a week to give advice to the chil- 



142 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



drcn. The products of the gardens are to be sold by the 
children, probably at a junior curbstone market to be es- 
tablished at each center, and the money recei\ed by each 
child is to be invested in thrift stamps. The garden prod- 
ucts left oxer from the market are to be canned by the 
children, probably at the Boys' and Girls' Canning Club 
centers. 




Members of the Junior Protective Garden League Receiving In- 
structions from Prof. Emberson of the U. S. Department of 
Agriculture at the Community Garden on Abb Avenue 
and 18th Street. 

Such have been the various activities of the schools 
in response to the food situation. The Women's Central 
Committee on Food Conservation has expressed hearty ap- 
preciation of the cooperation of the Board of Education, 
and regards the good resulting from it, as "incalculable." 
This, however should only inspire us with the determina- 
tion to accomplish still more next year, not only to help 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 143 



win the war, but to establish for all times, habits of intelli- 
gent management in which we as a people have hitherto 
been lacking, and which are just as necessary in times of 
peace. 



144 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



DEPARTMENTS OF MANUAL ARTS I i ' 
AND DRAWING. 

Domestic Science Department. 

One of the first departments to feel the effects of the 
war was the Domestic Science Department. The increas- 
ing cost of food supplies was apparent two years ago. The 
teachers of cooking were compelled to adjust the 'recipes 
to the market conditions and plan substitute ingredients 
some time before the present movement for food conserva- 
tion was deemed necessary. It has been a splendid oppor- 
tunity to impress upon the children the necessity of food 
conservation and to show in the regular cooking classes 
what can be done in this direction. All the girls in the 
eighth grade have weekly lessons in cooking and these les- 
sons carry over into the homes, as there have been many 
requests from parents for the recipes used in the school 
cooking classes. In the high schools the opportunities have 
been still greater, though unfortunately only those girls 
in the Domestic Science Course have had the benefit of 
the instruction in food conservation. 

It was not, however, until the fall of this school year 
that any participation in outside activities was attempted. 
At the request of the Women's Central Committee on 
Food Conservation, an exhibit of war breads was held in 
the exhibit rooms of this committee (905 Locust St.). Each 
grade center, fifteen in number, sent six small loaves, and 
each of the ten high schools ten loaves each. Every known 
and many unusual ingredients were used. It was a most 
attractive and appetizing exhibit, and several of the local 
bakeries asked permission to use some of the recipes used. 
A number of the loaves were made of combinations of in- 
gredients that had not until then been employed. 

The exhibit lasted two days, November 22nd and 23rd, 
and the bread was then given to one or two charitable insti- 
tutions. 



REPORT OP THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



145 




One of the most attractive and interesting exhibits of the Food 
Show was the cereal booth, under the direction of the Public 
Schools. A Home Economics teacher was in charge each 
day with a different group of girls, who demonstrated the 
making of yeast and quick breads from cereals other than 
wheat. Delicious samples and practical information were 
dispensed and many new combinations received favorable 
comment. 

During- the week of February 3rd the Food Show was 
held at the Coliseum. Groups of students from the domestic 
science classes, under the direction of their teachers, gave 
demonstrations of war breads in a booth well equipped for 
the purpose. Two groups. gave demonstrations in the morn- 
ings, two in the afternoons, and two in the evenings. The 
day demonstrations were given by grade school pupils 
and the evening demonstrations by high school pupils. The 
recipes were in printed form and were sold at the entrance 
to the exhibition. When the demonstrations were in prog- 
ress, placards were posted on the booth announcing the 



146 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



recipe that was being demonstrated, and the audience could 
follow the recipe in their books and see the mixtures made, 
baked, and the results distributed. This was an excellent 
opportunity to bring before the public not only the subject 
of food conservation, but also the fact that the Domestic 
Science Department was doing its share and living up to 
its opportunities. 

In the sewing classes in the grade schools, very little 
war work has been done, owing to the fact that sewing 
machines are not a part of the equipment. Only hand sew- 
ing is taught in the grade centers and there is very little 
hand sewing needed on the various articles recognized by 
the Red Cross. In the high schools the following articles 
were made : 13,855 Front Bags. 900 Laundry Bags, 1000 
Comfort Kits, 2233 Refugee Garments. These, of course, 
were more or less incidental and do not in any sense rep- 
resent the amount of work that the high schools could 
turn out if a definite allotment of work were decided upon. 
The formation of the Junior Red Cross, of which each 
school is a member, will do much to make possible a defi- 
nite assignment of work to be done by this department. 

While not strictly a war activity, a valuable feature 
has been the remodeling of old garments. The materials in 
garments that have been discarded are often of a superior 
quality and only require some effort to convert them into 
excellent garments. This work has proved of especial value 
in the evening schools, where the re-making and dyeing of 
garments have been successfully carried out. 

The teachers of domestic science, in addition to their 
work in the schools, have given their time outside of school 
hours as teachers of the Hoover Cooking Classes. 

These have been the chief war activities of the Domes- 
tic Science Department, but, as stated, it is felt that the 
daily class instruction is of such a nature as to be of direct 
service in teaching economy of food and materials. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 147 



Drawing Department. 

The work of the Drawing Department has under- 
gone considerable change during the past year. The in- 
dustries of the country have an increasing need of draw- 
ing, and "industrial art" has been dwelt upon to a greater 
extent than heretofore. While America has always made 
use of pictorial art in advertising to a greater degree than 
other nations, the past year has shown how great its help 
is in putting before the people the ideas necessary in the 
unification of the nation's thought. The best artists of 
the country are now giving their time to help put before 
the people ideas than can best be expressed graphically. 
What could be more expressive than the poster, "Halt the 
Hun," to name only one of the posters of the Third Liberty 
Loan ? 

In the high schools, the Art Department has made all 
manner of posters for the school activities. The figure 
drawing has been of such a nature that it could be of im- 
mediate use in the designing of posters. 

In the grade school classes, work in design has been 
made a very prominent feature, and the pupils have been 
led to see that drawing is the basis for everything that man 
makes. For the construction of the simplest moulding in 
the school room, or the greatest battleship, a drawing must 
first be made. The subject is so large and so generally in- 
teresting, and also so little realized, that the present is 
regarded as a very opportune time to impress the grade 
school children with its importance. America will need 
designers in the years to come as never before in its his- 
tory. 

Posters were made to advertise the various school en- 
tertainments, the proceeds of which were given to the 
Junior Red Cross. Various articles were also made for 
school bazaars, etc.. and generally speaking, wherever it 
was possible, the work in drawing has been put to use. 



148 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



The supervisors designed and stencilled the Junior 
Red Cross banners. As each school became a member of 
the St. Louis Chapter of the Junior Red Cross, it was 
given material for its banner. This banner was to be made 
by having the lettering cut out of blue cloth and sewed to 
the white cloth of the banner. The difficulties of cutting 
letters from cloth with the impossibility of securing any 
uniformity in about one hundred and fifty banners made it 
necessary to devise some mechanical means of overcoming" 
this condition. The draAving supervisors accordingly de- 
signed an agreeable arrangement for the lettering and 
made stencils so that the individual letters could be cut 
out and fitted to the position stencilled on the banner. This 
saved a considerable amount of time and effort on the part 
of the teachers and pupils. 

Manual Training Department. 

In the grade manual training centers where boys of 
the seventh and eighth grades receive instruction in wood 
work, comparatively little war work has been done. How- 
ever, a number of gameboards have been found acceptable 
in the various cantonments. The boys in the eighth grade 
of the Franklin School constructed one hundred and fifty 
hat racks for the surgical dressings class at the Barnes 
Hospital. These hat racks were constructed at the school 
and then taken to the hospital where they were fitted and. 
attached to the chairs. There are several objects that could 
be made in the grade centers, such as bed-trays and other 
simple things in wood for hospital use, but the Medical 
Corps has not as yet authorized the construction of these. 
The near future will undoubtedly see this work standard- 
ized as to design, and allotments made to various cities. 
In the work of the re-education of disabled soldiers, the 
simple benches and appliances needed could be made by^ 
eighth grade boys. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 




Making Checker Tables for the Cantonments. 



In the hi,^h schools, considerable work has Ix'en ac- 
complished. The Wood-working- classes of Clexekand lli,u:h, 
McKinley Hig-h, and ^'eatman Hig-h Schools ha\e each 
completed ten double game tables for use in the \'. M. C. 
A. rooms at the cantonments. In addition, furniture has 
been built for the rest rooms and women's (|uarters of the 
Red Cross buildings. Of this furniture, McKinley High 
School classes made ten oak folding gate-leg tables, Yeat- 
man High classes ten enameled dressing tables, and Sum- 
ner High School five oak benches. In the fall term other 
furniture will be made, as well as andirons, fire screens. 
bracket lamps, etc., by the blacksmithing classes. All of 
this furniture had to be of the highest quality as to work- 
manship and finish. 



150 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



TECHNICAL TRAINING FOR MEN IN THE SELEC- 
TIVE DRAFT. 

Evening Classes. 

At the request of the Federal Board of Vocational 
Education, evening classes were opened February 21, 1918, 
for men in Class 1-A, who had not yet been called into the 
service. These classes were held Tuesday, Thursday, and 
Saturday evenings from 7 :00 to 9 :40, and were assigned 
as follows : 

Central High School. 

3 classes Auto Mechanics 

1 class Machine Shop 

1 class Airplane Woodworking 

2 classes Radio and Buzzer Operating 

McKinley High School. 

1 class Auto Mechanics 
1 class Machine Shop 

Soldan High School. 

3 classes Auto Mechanics 

The purpose of these classes was to open to men in 
the selective draft who had had some technical training, 
a brief intensive course of instruction in processes and oper- 
ations carried on by the army under war conditions. The 
army needs a great many mechanicians who can be welded 
into the regular army organization. The evening classes 
were the preliminary attempts to help supply the need 
by giving some preliminary training in the school shops. 
It is manifestly impossible to make skilled mechanics in 
a few evenings each week, but with the needs known, it 
is possible to train men to perform certain specific opera- 
tions in the vocations. 

To date, 105 men in Auto Mechanics, 46 men in Radio 
and Buzzer operating, 30 men in Machine Shop Practice, 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 151 



and 20 men in Airplane Wood-working have been inducted 
into the service. It is hoped that the army finds the time 
has been w^ell spent. 

Day Classes. 

On March 2-"), lUltS, the Board of Education of St. 
Louis signed a contract with the U. S-. Government to 
house, feed, and instruct three successive contingents of 
275 men each. These men were to be regularly enlisted 
men under army officers, and were to receive military 
instruction as well as instruction in certain trades and oc- 
cupations. The term of shop instruction for each contin- 
gent was sixty-eight days. 

The Board of Education sub-let the contract for hous- 
ing and feeding the men to the Y. M. C. A. The men who 
attend the Ben Blewett Junior High School and Soldan 
High School are housed at "The Eodge," 5512 Etzel Ave., 
and those who attend Central High School are housed at 
the Central Y. M. C. A. Annex. In order that the students 
in the manual training courses of the Junior, Soldan, and 
Central High Schools should not lose any part of their shop 
work, arrangements were made whereby they should re- 
ceive instruction before and after school hours and on Sat- 
urday mornings. They were thus able to complete their 
work before the arrival of the enlisted men. 

The distribution of the men and the training given is 
as follows : 

Ben Blewett Junior High School. 

Blacksmithing 25 men 

Machine Shop Practice 25 men 

Woodworking 25 men 

Soldan High School. 

Auto Mechanics 25 men 

Blacksmithing 26 men 

Machine Shop Practice 25 men 

Woodworking 25 men 



152 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



Central High School. 

Auto Mechanics 50 men 

Machine Shop Practice 2.5 men 

Woodworking 25 men 

Total 275 men 

Eleven in.'^tructors are engaged in this work, twenty- 
five men being enrolled in each class. 




A portion of the machine shop showing the soldiers being trained 

to become lathe operators. Each man was trained to 

operate one machine only. 



It should be a source of pride to the citizens of St. 
Louis to know that the shops in the high schools are so 
well equipped and the instructors of such qualifications that 
they met the standards and requirements of the Govern- 
ment. Bulletins issued by the War Department w^ere made 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTEX]:)EXT. 153 



the l)ases of the cnurses of stiuh' in the \ocations taught. 
In addition, the instructors matle visits at stated intervals 
of time to Scott Aviation Fiehl, and were thus able to 
familiarize themselves with the conditions that wotdd con- 
front I he men in their charge when the_\' \\"ere sent to a 
camp. 

The first contingent of 2 To men arrived April 15, 1918, 
and finished their training June 10, 1918. The men thus 
did not receive their full allotment of time, the Govern- 
ment recjuesting that they be sent to various camps upon 
the latter date. In spite of the shortened time, the men 
in the first contingent have made remarkable progress. It 
has been a revelation to see what can be done with inten- 
sive training when backed by a motive such as these men 
have. 

Many of the men were wholly unfamiliar with the 
work they had undertaken. This was due not to the fact 
that the wrong men had been assigned to the work as to 
the shortage of mechanics. It is, of course, due to this 
shortage of mechanics of draft age that it was necessary 
to establish these training classes. The attitude of the men 
has been splendid. They attacked every difficulty as though 
it was a German. On the days following the inoculations, 
the majority of the men felt quite ill, but they worked every 
minute they were able. With this attitude united to the 
enthusiasm of the instructors, it was possible to accomplish 
what they did in such a short period of time. 

Many interesting problems of administration have 
arisen in carrying on the work. The War Department sent 
for the use of the Auto Mechanics classes, two "Liberty 
B" standard truck motors, two Ford motors, and one Dodge 
Bros, motor. These, of course, were insufficient to give 
the preliminary training to the men in these classes. The 
Board of Education accordingly purchased a number of 
old motors of various makes, and in every possible state of 
repair, at little more than "junk" prices. These motors 



154 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



can be re-sold at the end of the period of training for at 
least as much as was paid for them, as they are all now 
in good working condition. 




A group of propeller makers. This picture shows the methods 

used in this branch of woodworking, as well as the form 

of bench improvised. The men work in pairs. 

As soon as the preliminary training had been gi\en, 
work was begun on the repair of trucks and pleasure cars. 
Arrangements had been made for owners of cars to have 
repairs made free, the parts being purchased by the owners 
before work was begun. This made possible a constant 
supply of repair jobs which in many cases were far more 
difficult than the men will be called upon to undertake in 
the field. It was the best of training, however. 

In all the classes, the men at the close of their period 
of training, were rated as "Expert," "Journeymen," or "Ap- 
prentice." Those men rated Expert were those who had 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 155 



experience in the particular vocation before entering the 
class and who showed that they were in every sense ex- 
perts in their work. Journeymen were those men who 
had some experience before entering the class and were 
found capable of doing the ordinary work required. Ap- 
prentices were those who had no previous experience, but 
had made satisfactory progress, and who would make good 
mechanics with more experience. 

In the Blacksmithing classes practically none of the 
men had had any previous experience. It was in these 
classes that the most surprising progress was made and 
the majority of the men did work that would be a credit 
to the ordinary journeyman blacksmith. 

Among the first objects made were bolts. Bolts of all 
sizes were needed for stands for motors, propeller testing 
stands, etc. Large bolts were also forged for use in the 
machine shop, where they were machined down to stand- 
ard sized bolts for planers and shapers. The welding of 
chain links was an important item. Each man made at 
least four feet of two-inch chain links, and became able 
to make very good welds. Various other welding was 
done until the men could weld tool-steel and iron. They 
repointed picks, made blacksmithing tools in large num- 
bers, dressed and tempered various heavy tools, and made 
repairs needed on cars in the Auto Mechanics classes. The 
final work was the working of tool steel. Flat and "S" 
wrenches, special wrenches for different makes of machines, 
blanks for milling cutters, and other machine tools were 
a few of the things made. It will be seen that little was 
omitted that could come in the day's work of the black- 
smithing. 

In the Machine Shop classes it was understood that 
it would be impossible to make general machinists in sixty 
days. Instead, the men were taught to operate a single 
machine, such as a lathe planer or shaper, milling machine, 
universal grinder, etc., or were taught to become bench 



156 



ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



hands. They spent the entire period of training on the 
single machine. The result was that the majority of the 
members of the machine shop classes could be certified 
as journeymen operators of individual machines. This is 
not a remarkable condition in the light of what has been 
accomplished in less time in the training of women for 
machine shop work in England and France. 




A "close-up" showing the manner of testing the work on a pro- 
peller. At points four inches apart, the curves must conform 
to templates. The work must be exceedingly accurate, the 
slightest deviation from the true form rendering the pro- 
peller useless. The propellers are finally balanced on testing 
stands and varnished. 

It has been possible to do a large variety of work, 
due to the needs of the other shops. As an instance, a 
large number of socket wrenches were needed in the auto 
mechanics classes. The lathe hands turned the cylindrical 
parts, the drill press operators drilled the holes for the 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



157 




A view of the standard Government truck motor, called "Liberty 
B." This group has taken the motor down, and has just 
completed re-assembling it. All the members of the class are 
divided into similar groups, and given work on typical motors. 



sockets and handles, the milhng machine operators made 
the hexagonal and square broaches, and the bench hands 
assembled and case-hardened the wrenches. This was one 
of many jobs that were handled in like manner. A large 
number of repair jobs were constantly on hand, a large 
amount being repairs on automobiles. 

In the wood-working classes the attempt was made 
to train the entire class for airplane wood-workers. After 
two weeks of preliminary work it was found that a num- 
ber of the men in these classes would not develop sufficient 
skill to become airplane woodworkers. A second division 
was accordingly formed in each class and these latter were 
taught to become carpenters. Government specifications 



158 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



and blue-prints of the cantonment buildings were secured 
so that the character of the training would be in line with 
what would be required of the men when they were as- 
signed to the camps. The carpenter divisions of the wood- 
working classes at Junior High and Soldan High Schools 
built the garage for the auto mechanics class at Sold? 
High School. The carpenter division at Central High 
School erected a typical one-room building, which will be 
torn down, cut to slightly smaller dimensions and erected 
by the second contingent. 

The airplane woodworkers were taught to repair air- 
plane parts, to repair propellers, and finally taught to make 
propellers. Airplane parts were donated to the schools by 
local firms manufacturing airplanes, and were such parts 
as did not pass inspection. Damaged propellers were loaned 
by the commanding officer at Scott Field, 111., and these, 
together with the Government specifications for propeller 
making, made it possible to turn out propellers in a very 
satisfactory manner. 

It will thus be seen that the work of these Technical 
Training classes is carried on under very favorable con- 
ditions. The one thing the men lack is field experience. 
However, working conditions at the schools have been 
made to approximate the army conditions. The proximity 
of Scott Field has enabled the instructors to visit frequent- 
ly and keep in touch with the constantly changing re- 
quirements. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 



159 




The carpenters built a garage for work on these machines, but 
pending its completion, work was done in the open air. 



It is believed that the men sent out from these classes 
■will be able to give a good account of themselves and will 
do justice to their training. Upon the departure of the first 
contingent each man was given a stamped envelope ad- 
dressed to his instructor and asked as soon as he was defi- 
nitely located to send back to the school any suggestions 
that he could make that might be of help in the training 
of the second contingent. The returns have, in many in- 
stances, proved exceedingly valuable. 



160 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



VOCATIONAL TRAINING RESULTING FROM WAR 
CONDITIONS. 

In all the nations at war the earliest necessity has been 
the replacement of the workers who were in the fighting 
line. England and France have accomplished this in a 
large measure by training women to take the place of 
skilled and semi-skilled workmen. They have also trained 
men who were beyond the fighting age and who were work- 
ers in occupations not necessary to the prosecution of the 
war, in work that was necessary. 

America has already done much in this direction. Many 
of the large industries have what are called "vestibule"' 
schools, where the inexperienced are trained to become 
skilled in the work required. These are in. every sense 
schools. Workers are taught, and left to "pick it up" 
through years of apprenticeship, and much of the time 
saved that has hitherto been wasted. These vestibule 
schools are successful because the instructors are experi- 
enced in the things they teach and school conditions are 
actual working conditions. 

There are, however, some occupations that can best 
be taught away from the actual working conditions. As 
an instance, stenography and typewriting are such. It 
would be manifestly impossible for young women to learn 
these subjects in a commercial office. Realizing this, the 
commercial schools have carried on a successful existence, 
and most of the public school systems of the country have 
placed a commercial course among their courses of study. 

It was therefore a very natural thing, when the 
Women's Committee of National Defense, Missouri Divi- 
sion, wished to open a class for stenography and type- 
writing that they turned to the public schools. The pur- 
pose of this class was to prepare women to take over posi- 
tions made vacant by war conditions. The class was open- 
ed at Central High School, February 27, 1918, and con- 



niCI'OU'P o|.' 'JMIIO SUI-KRINTKNUKXT. 161 



tinned two months. The honrs of attendance were from 
3 :00 to G :00 P. M. The expense of instruction was met by 
charging- each member of the class a nominal sum. 

Of the fifty original members of the class, forty-five 
completed the two-months of training. These students 
arc now doing advanced work during the mornings of the 
summer school period at Central High. A second class 
for beginning students has been opened at Central High 
School for the summer school term, which lasts six weeks. 

Thus has been started the training of women for speci- 
fic occupations. As the war goes on an increasing need of 
such training will be evident. As a general proposition it 
may be stated that given the qualifications and state of 
proficiency desired, it is possible to plan a course of study 
that will give to the students these qualifications. The 
schools have before them the greatest opportunity in their 
history for shoAving their immediate value to the commun- 
ity. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 



020 914 407 4 



